Everyday Occurrences
by TigerLilly22
Summary: A companion to Coffee With Strangers: one-shots depicting Yang and Blake's modern adventures through different stages of their relationship and through situations they run into during their everyday lives. Domestic Bumbleby/Bumblebee.
1. At the Store

A/N: Thanks once again to the amazing risefromshadows for beta reading this.

_Summary: Blake and Yang need a new couch. _

* * *

"Blake! Blake, you gotta hurry! There's so much we gotta check out!" Blonde hair waved erratically as the owner bounced in place, excitement written across her features as she stood in front of a set of double doors leading into a massive store construct. Adventures sure to be had within.

"I'm coming Yang, don't rush me." An irritable woman called, slowly trudging her way over to the store. She was ninety-nine point five percent certain, looking upon the entirety of the mall, that her doom lied therein. The other point five? She was positive it was her chances of Yang somehow breaking something. Neither prospect brightened her mood.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Yang marched up to her girlfriend, took her by the arm, and proceeded to pull her unceremoniously through the doors. Blake did not put up a fight, her mouth a straight line as she literally allowed her feet to drag across the ground, making the stronger woman do all the work in getting her into the mall. "Do you really have to be so difficult?"

"Do you really have to be so cheerful?" Blake retorted, playfulness dripping from her words and her very essence. She knew being here was a necessity, her presence a must, but that did not mean she had to enjoy this, or make it any easier on Yang.

"Only when you're with me!" Yang sang, finally getting Blake through the doors. She hoisted the dark-haired woman to her feet, hooking Blake's arms in hers before she continued to make her way into the mall, a set destination in mind. They had some serious shopping to do.

The mall: a regular teen paradise. Older kids similar to Yang and Blake - otherwise known as adults - came to this commercial nest regularly to pass the time, shop for in home decorations, gift shop, browse, drool over stuff they did not and could not have, meet with friends, get out of the house to stave off cabin fever, and so much more. Today, the couple was on a crucial mission, a mission which could very well be the very defining point in their relationship since they decided to take the gamble that was moving in together.

They were shopping for a couch.

Their previous one, which Yang would vehemently deny any part of, had been burned to a crisp. It was now naught but ashes and a memory, much like Yang's dignity when Blake caught whiff of the incident. The Faunus, wanting retribution for this indecency, had nearly strangled her girlfriend, rage spreading through every fiber of her being and manifesting itself violently as she tried to throttle Yang. In the end, she settled for video recording Yang sitting in the corner for an hour, repeating various, pre-written, apology phrases with a sign reading 'I Don't Think Before I Do Things' around her neck. It served as a reminder for Yang: one, do not play with matches in the house and, two, no one destroys Blake's furniture and gets away with it.

"We're just looking for a couch Yang, please calm down."

"Nah." Yang looked over to her companion, smirk in place. "How else am I gonna annoy you?"

"So that _is_ your nefarious plot." Blake grumbled, matching Yang's strides as they walked, still arm in arm. "First you destroy the couch, now my sanity."

"Yup!" The blonde laughed. Seeing their destination ahead, Yang pointed forward, childish excitement lifting her words. "Look, there it is!"

"I see it Yang, it's not that hard to miss the department store." Blake fought the grin that threatened to bloom, refusing to be happy. At least, for the moment, lest she let Yang win in her attempt to make her smile.

"Oh whatever snarky mcgrump." Yang stuck her tongue out at her. Looking smug, Yang said, "At least _I'll _be having fun. You'll just be all grumpy and not have _any_."

"You're such a child." Blake giggled, leaning into the taller woman as they approached the store.

"And yet you're still with me. Wonder what that says about you?" Yang slyly retorted, giving a quick, but no less loving, peck to Blake's head as they crossed over the line between the mall and the department store.

After entering, the duo took a look around the store. Blake for the section that would hold her desired sofas and Yang just took to glancing around wildly with a grin, thinking of all the possibilities and fun to be had.

"It looks as though the couches are this way." Blake observed, making a move to head to the left side of the store, a sign overhead marking the way.

"Blake." Yang held out a hand to stop the named girl from taking another step.

Blake took a sharp intake of breath at getting stopped by what felt to be the equivalent to her stomach hitting a brick wall. "Guh, Yang!"

"Whoops, sorry kitten." Yang had the decency to look sheepish. She lifted a finger, pointing toward the right side of the store. "But look! They have a huge section just for _beds_!"

"So?"

"So, let's go try them!"

Blake let loose a breath, following Yang's excited gaze over to the section she indicated: beds, bed frames, mattresses, sheets, pillows, and anything else sleep related could be seen past the pillar blocking their view, stretching on farther than they could see.

Releasing the other woman's arm and stepping away, Blake made her way to the left, her voice leaving no room for argument as she said, "After we take a look at the couches."

"Wha-… How can you say that?! We have all day to look at couches, why not inspect the beds first?" Yang comically let her mouth hang open, arms flailing toward the right side of the store in what she hoped was a convincing manner.

It was not, as proven by Blake when she aimed narrowed amber slits at the argumentative blonde. She desired to find a new couch as soon as possible, not wishing to sit in the lawn chairs situated in their living room any longer than she had to. "Later."

Yang slumped in defeat, shuffling after her clearly angered girlfriend. "Yes dear." She had only wanted to have fun while she was out with her love, but it would seem her fight to have a good time had been snuffed out as quickly as she had announced it. Figures.

Turning back around, Blake cupped the other woman's face when she drew near, Yang's small frown and hunched back a hint to her dampened spirits. "I promise." Blake said softly, looking around quickly before giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "Later."

Spirit reignited, Yang jumped up from her slouched stance, grabbing Blake's hand with a smile. "Then what are we doing standing around just chatting about it? Let's go!"

* * *

"Ugh." Yang groaned, flopping down on yet another couch. The nth one they had looked at today. "Have you picked one yet?"

Blake hummed, inspecting the furniture piece Yang had laid herself down on. It was a nice set, the dark maroon couch, made of smooth, yielding leather was three cushions long, able to seat four people easily. In reality, the extra long cushions could probably seat five people, side by side, albeit not that comfortably. For a couple, it was more than long enough for two people to lay down upon. Blake even assumed, whether sitting up by or settling one's head down on the armrest, that even Yang would barely be able touch the other side of the couch with her legs and feet stretched as far as they would go. The evidence spoke for itself as Yang spread herself on it, her legs only spanning a little over half of the couch's length as she sat up on one end. It was even on sale to boot, much to Blake's liking. A very nice set indeed.

"Blake." Yang said louder, breaking the named woman out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you picked one yet." Yang repeated, elbow propped up on the sofa arm, lazily holding her head up with a palm.

"Not yet. It is tough making a decision." Blake responded, scanning over the rest of the department they were in, tiredly gazing out at all the couches, chairs, sofas, and any other seat commodity that they had already looked at.

"The only way to _really_ make a decision," Yang called out alluringly as she held out a hand and flexed her fingers, motioning for Blake to come closer. "is to try them out! Bring your cute butt over here and test out this couch with me!"

"I don't feel like it." Blake turned away, teasing the young woman on the furniture.

"Get over her and give me your loves!" Yang opened her arms invitingly, demanding Blake come over and join her.

"We're not here to play around, Yang." Blake reprimanded her lightly, but, at the same time, was unable to stop a smile from growing.

"That's weird." Violet orbs became hidden as Yang closed her eyes, leaning back into the furniture as she exhaled. "Isn't the whole reason we're getting another couch so that we have something else to 'play' on that isn't the bed? It's not like we can really do much on lawn chairs when it comes to spicing things up."

"You do remember that it's your fault we have to use lawn chairs in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, well- Oof!" Yang made her surprise known in a verbal outburst, eyelids snapping open as an unexpected weight dropped onto her middle. "What're you doing?"

"You said to bring my butt over." Blake said innocently, tone sickeningly sweet from her seat on Yang's stomach. "So I did, just as you asked." She bounced to emphasize her point, making Yang gasp for breath as Blake tried to crush her lungs.

"Uncle, uncle!" Yang cried out, grasping Blake's right shoulder in surrender. "I give, I give!"

Blake fell over onto her right side, laughing as her head landed on the squishy leather armrest with a _whuff_ and settled her body beside Yang's. Now on her back, she looked up, golden irises meeting lavender as she smiled. "Oh, hello there."

Playing along, Yang put her elbow back on the armrest, right beside Blake's head. "Hello! Fancy meetin' you here, beautiful."

"Beautiful? Well aren't you just a sweet, old charmer." Blake played bashful, turning her head away and making a shooing motion with her hand, as though waving off the flattery. "But truly, you're the gorgeous one." She insisted.

"I only speak the truth, ma'am." Yang boasted, bringing her other hand up to caress Blake's cheek, bringing her face back to look at her. "But please, do go on. I heard something about me being gorgeous?"

"Don't get me started, we'll be here all day if I start to list things."

"Phew!" Yang wiped off imaginary sweat from her brow with her other hand as she puffed her cheeks. "It's a good thing you didn't ask me to start then. If that were the case, we'd be here all _week_!"

"I highly doubt that." Blake chuckled, her body beginning to relax and mold into the springy leather surface of the sofa.

"I'd take up that challenge if I didn't know for sure that you _don't_ wanna be here until next week." Yang winked, her amused companion shaking her head at the display. "So tell me, what's up pretty lady?"

"Hmm…" Blake focused her gaze upward. "I see a ceiling. It's got some lights." She pointed overhead, behind Yang's head. "There's some signs over there."

"Haha." Her laugh devoid of humour. "Aren't you funny."

"Aren't I just?" Blake fluttered her eyelids, inciting a giggle from her blonde girlfriend.

She settled into a grin, basking in the sight of Blake seeming to enjoy herself as she traced her thumb over a smooth cheek. "Having fun yet?" Yang inquired, breaking their little play. Her question awarded her a serene smile, a prize Yang took great pride in.

"Now I am." Blake answered sincerely, eyes crinkled in amusement. All previous traces of tiredness that had lingered in them having been chased away, replaced with dancing laughter as she gazed upon the face of the one she loved.

Before Yang could even think about stealing a kiss, her Faunus love rolled off the sofa, landing on her feet in a crouch. Standing up, Blake held out a hand, her smile still intact. "I think I made a decision." As Yang took the proffered hand, taking what little assistance the dark-haired girl offered, Blake looked fondly at the couch they had laid upon. "What do you think about getting this one?"

Yang swiveled her head toward the maroon colored furniture as well, thinking about the blissful atmosphere from only moments ago. "I like that idea." She confirmed as she squeezed Blake's hand in her's, having yet to let go. "I can see us doing so much with this, together."

"Agreed."

Turning back, Yang gave a mischievous smile, face leaning down to be level with the shorter woman. "Sooo…" She began, voice lowering to a whisper as she looked Blake dead in the eye. "Does this mean we can…?"

Amber eyes rolled in their sockets, Blake already predicting what she was about to be asked. "Yes, we can go take a look at the beds now."

"Whoo!" Yang threw both her hands, and, incidentally, Blake's left hand, toward the ceiling as she cheered. She began to run down the white, laminated paths of the department store, having spotted the sign marking the mattress section. She dragged Blake behind her in her haste, not caring what few people they passed by thought as she rocketed down the tiled trails with her girlfriend in tow. "Let's go then!"

"Don't forget though!" Blake warned. "We need to go talk to a sales representative before we leave so we can make the purchase!"

"Don't worry about it!" Yang called back, not slowing down. "We'll get to it in a bit!"

Before long, they arrived. Blake crashed into Yang as they suddenly stopped, the blonde woman looking upon the section with reverence in her gaze.

"Do you see it, Blake?"

"Do I see what?" Blake asked irritably, rubbing the side of her face that had slammed into the sturdy woman.

Yang, ever oblivious, continued, "The possiBILITIES." She upped her voice at the last half of the final word, childish energy causing her to bounce in place.

"Why are you so excited?" Her eyebrows furrowed, Blake shot Yang a skeptical glare. "They're just beds."

"To you, maybe." The taller woman stepped forward, crossing over from the tiled walkways of the store and on to the fluffy carpet of the mattress section. She turned around with a smile, eyes alight with glee. "To me, I see all kinds of things. Me and Ruby used to play games on our beds all the time when we shared a room, back when we were kids. We'd be pirates, robots, ninjas, we'd even play the lava game!" She began to take off her shoes. "We'd play for hours indoors on rainy days and the like. Sometimes, we'd have even more fun playing pretend in department stores like this one while our parents did their shopping. More beds to jump on!"

"Wait." The dark-haired girl squeezed her eyes shut, fingers alighted on her forehead as she staved off the oncoming headache. She held her other hand out, palm facing up in the universal sign of 'halt'. "Let me get this straight. You brought me over here so you could play _pretend_?" They were both twenty-one; by definition, they were not children.

"No no no!" Yang waved her hands back and forth in denial. She approached the other woman, feet clad only in socks, standing on the lamented aisle. Stopping at the border set between the carpet and square flooring. A light grin tugged the corner of her lips up as she eyed her girlfriend. "I brought _us_ over here so _we_ could play pretend!"

"That hardly makes a difference."

"Oh, don't be like that." Yang smirked, getting down on one knee. She began to talk loudly, the few other shoppers within earshot looking to see what the commotion was. "My lady! My princess! Doth thou forsaketh thy knight?"

"Oh god." Her sentence accompanied by an eye roll.

"Come with me, maiden of beauty! Together, we shall ride upon my mighty steed into the sunset." With one hand held out for Blake to take, she used the other to flourish toward the closest bed, the coincidentally white comforter looking very plush and comfortable.

"A white steed." Blake commented on the color. "How cute." She then gazed down to the kneeling woman in front of her. "You're not exactly what I pictured my prince to look like."

"I'm much prettier, amiright?" Yang winked.

"Or act like." Blake deadpanned.

"Are you gonna take my hand or not?" The offered hand Yang held out waved around as her expression fell, trying to get Blake to take it.

A sigh and a smile, then her hand encompassed in the warmth of another. "Fine, lead the way o' brave prince of the Dream kingdom."

"Your wish is my command!" Yang grasped her hand tighter, pulling Blake over from the white tiles to join her on the fuzzy carpet. "To the Dream kingdom, away!"

With that, she pulled Blake to her, holding the dark woman tightly to her chest as she jumped onto the bed. Both of them landing with a_ flump_ as Yang brought them down, the couple staying together by the blonde's tight embrace.

"Now what?" Blake asked, her voice slightly muffled as it was squashed against her girlfriend's voluminous breasts.

"Now? We wed! A knight and her princess living happily ever after!"

Blake chuckled. "Life is not a fairy tale."

Yang leaned back, releasing Blake from her booby prison. She extended a single finger, poking Blake in the forehead as she said, "Life is whatever you make of it, my dear." She sat up, looking down at the prone woman still laying on her side. Ebony hair spilled out in waves behind the beauty as she gazed back, her hands cutely held to her chest as she stared. "But judging from your response, that's a no to the wedding?"

"Marriage, huh?" Blake rolled onto her back. "Maybe."

"Maybe no? You wound me Blake. I didn't think I was _that_ bad." She pouted, cheeks puffed out in indignation at the idea of not being desirable.

"No, just maybe." Blake swatted the laughing woman. "Don't twist my words."

"You're gonna have to make me!" Yang sprang to her feet, sprinting away before Blake could even sit up. "You'll never take me alive, copper!"

"So I'm a cop now?" Without responding, Blake got off the bed, squatting down and slowly waddling toward the nearest mattress that could provide her cover, the tall bed frame she chose hiding her form easily.

After a few minutes, her desired scenario was beginning to take place. "Blake?" Amber eyes flicked toward the top of the sheets, a sly smile adorning a smug face. "Did you leave me? Where'd you go Blake?"

She waited until she heard the call draw near, confusion threading the owner's shout. Seconds ticked by, but still Blake stayed lowered, hiding until the right moment.

"Come on, Blake, this isn't funny! Where'd you go?!" Concern started to enter her tone. Blake began to feel a little bad, but a feeling of satisfaction soon shoved that terrible feeling to the side. Honestly, Yang deserved to feel worried for once. She pulled these kinds of stunts on her on a near daily basis; now, it was payback time.

"Hellooo? Calling all Blake's in the area!"

There. She saw a socked foot enter her vision for but a split second before she pounced.

Yang screamed as she was knocked over by the human projectile that slammed into her side, bringing the two of them back down to another bed. "Blake! You frigging sca - I mean, you surprised me!"

"Mhm." Blake hummed against Yang's neck as she nestled into her, this time being the one on top. "You mean I scared you."

"Surprised." Yang retorted. The blonde stubbornly refusing to accept it so readily.

"I heard you say scared." Blake sang, mimicking Yang's tactics of retaliation.

"I said surprised."

"You said scared first."

"Grr, whatever!" A growl escaped Yang's throat as she turned away.

Blake giggled. "I caught the robber."

"What?" Yang furrowed her brows as she faced Blake, not understanding.

"You said earlier, 'You'll never take me alive, copper!', which made me the cop, you the robber. I caught the robber, so now you have to accept your punishment as defined by the law."

"What law?" Yang huffed, her face once again turned away.

"My law." Reaching up, Blake gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. "Your debt to society has been paid in full, you are now a free woman."

A goofy smile stretched across a pretty face, Yang looking back to her love with a jubilant gleam in her eye. "I think I'm still in some major debt. Mind helping me?"

A palm greeted her face in rejection. "No."

"Fudge." She snapped her fingers. "So close."

Taking back her hand, Blake laughed. "You can pay the rest of your debt by becoming a functioning member of society. Get a job, and all will be well."

"A job, eh?" Yang stroked her chin in thought. The Faunus thought she could hear a light bulb ding with her enhanced hearing when she saw her girlfriend's face light up. "I got it! I'll be a doctor!"

"A doctor? Not a bad choice." The dark-haired girl conceded, surprised to hear Yang pick a sensible profession for once, even if it was only pretend.

"Yes! I shall save the lives of the many through the means of medical magic!"

"You do that." Blake snuggled in closer to her enthusiastic girlfriend, the young woman beginning to feel a little sleepy on the plush surface. Yang's warmth drawing her in like a moth to a flame. Or in this case, a cat to a flame.

"Hold the phone!" Yang suddenly shouted as she shot up, bouncing the supine Faunus in place. Blake barely mustered the energy to express her amusement in a chuckle as Yang began her newest scene, the blonde putting an ear to her chest. "The patient isn't breathing!"

"What are you going on about this time?" Blake grinned.

Yang hovered a hand over amber eyes, completely serious as she said, "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stay calm and still. No need to worry for I know what I am doing! I'm a professional."

"Oh god." To Blake, concerning Yang's last sentence, more fear-inducing words had never before been spoken. "What are you doing?"

"No need to fear, I know how to fix this!" Yang lifted her head off the one beneath her, mischief in her eyes. "My diagnosis shows that you are on the verge of death, and only the power of love can save you! The only way to do that is through… CPR! It will be torture to have to do this to you, but so be it!"

"Wait, you cannot seriously be thinking of doing this - mmph!" Blake was cut off, her mouth unable to move due to the lips pressed against her own.

"Mmph!" Blake struggled against Yang, pushing against her girlfriend's shoulders to get her to lean back. She pushed hard enough to force Yang off the bed, the blonde crying out in surprise as she hit the ground. Free of her advancements for the time being, Blake sat up and glared down at Yang, hissing lowly, "What are you doing?! We are in public! Other people could be nearby watching, and you and I both know that, that is not a good thing! I thought we agreed on minor displays of affection when we went out?"

"Relax, Blake!" Yang chuckled from the carpet, sitting up on her knees and placing her chin on the puffy comforter of the model bed. "There's no one around!"

Looking around, Blake was surprised to find that Yang was right, the only hint of anyone possibly being in their corner of the store with them was the security camera aimed over the entirety of the beds, silently watching out for any criminal activity. Had it always been like this?

Either way, Blake sighed, beginning to relax and becoming less anxious with the knowledge that no one was around to interrupt or voice complaints. "You need to give me more warning than that next time."

"Oh ho?" Yang smirked. "Is that permission to have a next time?"

"No."

"Whaaat? You know you loved it!"

"It will be torture to have to do this to you," Blake announced, dramatically holding the back of her hand to her forehead. "but so be it!"

"You minx." Yang stood up and reached out, gripping Blake's sides and lightly digging her fingers into her ribs. "Stealing my lines, are we? I won't stand for this!"

Beneath her, Blake squirmed and kicked, sluggishly laughing as she was tickled in her semi-tired state. "H-hey! Stop that! Yang, I mean it!"

"I'm sorry, I can't hear anything you're saying! Someone's laughing a little too loudly!" Yang shouted over Blake's cries, the Faunus losing her aloof demeanor as she was submitted to Yang's relentless administrations over her midsection. Knowing fingers finding all her weakest points.

"Yuh… Yang!" Blake laughed out, unable to control her hands long enough to grab at her tormentor. "P-please!"

The way in which she cried out made Yang pause mid-strike, hands still lightly resting on Blake's belly as she ceased her attack.

Confused, her laughs dying out, Blake looked up toward the suddenly motionless blonde. Slowly getting up, she observed as unreadable lilac eyes followed her, the owner of said eyes seemingly unable to look away, but, at the same time, not truly registering that she was there. She easily took Yang's hands in her's, pulling them away from her stomach without a fight. She watched as the standing woman's stoic face tilted to the side, her expression turning thoughtful. On rare occasions, Blake had seen Yang like this before - it meant that she was thinking deeply about something.

"What is it?" Blake asked, waving a hand over her lover's face. Usually, when she entered this state of mind, Yang's thoughts tended to border on the pessimistic side, sometimes on the insightful. Blake hoped it was the latter. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Yang blinked. "Oh, sorry. I think I spaced out for a second there."

"No kidding. What were you thinking about?" Blake asked again. The mattress dipping low as Yang sat back down.

Yang met her gaze, her usually lively lilac eyes becoming a tender stare. "I was thinking about you. About how lucky I am to have you. To have you here with me." She turned away. "That's all."

Yang felt as the weight on the bed shifted, the mattress dipping down right behind her as Blake embraced her, arms encircling her neck and holding her to the usually shorter girl's chest. "What brought this on?"

"Watching you laugh just made me think for a second. About how I love your laugh, your smile, even your terrible sense of humour and the way you shoot me down when you're being your buzzkill you." Yang chuckled, burying her face into the arms around her collar. "It makes me happy that I'm the one who's with you."

"I could say the exact same for you, except I love your sense of humor even when you take it too far." Golden yellow locks hid an evil smile, the woman it belonged to pausing the slightest bit. "Sometimes."

"Eeh?" Yang gasped. "Only sometimes?"

"Just kidding." Blake's voice grew softer. "I love you and your terrible jokes all the time."

Loosening her grip, Blake leaned her head forward in an attempt to meet Yang's face. Yang turning half-way to meet her in a kiss. They held it for a few moments before simultaneously pulling back.

"I love you too." Yang smiled, her own expression of happiness tinged with a lingering fatigue. This did not go unnoticed.

"How about we go purchase that couch and then head home? I think I hear our _own_ bed calling." Blake joked.

"I'm game." Her statement punctuated with a brief yawn. "Let's get going."

The two women got up, both of them moving slowly and leaning on the other for support as they began to make their way back to the sofa section, hand in hand. The day drawing to a close.

Not ten minutes later, Yang ran back to the bed area by her lonesome, a panicked expression on her face. "Crap! I almost forgot my shoes!"


	2. Nightmare

_Summary: Blake has a nightmare, but Yang is the one who ends up hurt._

* * *

The Vale City Aquarium was a massive construct, the large building towering the acres ground that ran beneath in its behemoth of a shadow. A lovely, if generic, location for tourists, family outings, educational field trips, or destination to take your love on a date - if they are in to the sort of thing. For whatever purpose, the Vale City aquarium served all when it came down to a wondrous place to sight see and visit for the day.

In Blake's case, it was more than adequate for her fish obsessive needs.

It was plainly obvious that the Faunus was excited, her tail swishing through the air energetically behind her as she flitted from tank to tank. Her ears twitched occasionally in curiosity as she browsed the mass variety of different marine life the exhibits had to offer, and read, word for word, the plaques attached to the railing in front of the over sized glass bowls. The other loitering aquarium enthusiasts paid her no mind, some even smiling at the woman's thirst for knowledge and simple love of fish. Not too far away, Yang chuckled at her girlfriend's antics, the usually serious and well-mannered Blake she had come to know regressing back into a hyperactive child was not a sight she was blessed with just any given day of the week.

Boots heavily thudded across the hard lacquered floor as Yang joined Blake, the dark haired woman reading up on the interesting feeding habits of some of the sharks on display.

Yang squinted as a particular multi-finned shark swam by, something bordering its nostrils catching her attention. "What the heck is that one supposed to be?"

Taking a look at what Yang was referring to, Blake consulted the informative pamphlet before her. "I believe that one is supposed to be a nurse shark."

"What's wrong with its face? Is it part walrus or something?" That earned her an eye roll.

"No, you cream puff. Those are its barbels. They are sensitive to touch and help it locate food on the ocean floor."

"Yeesh. That's not weird or anything." Yang shivered, mouth grimacing in mock disgust. "Remind me not to go the hospital where that one works."

Blake shot her an indifferent stare. "That's mother nature Yang. Nothing that can be done about it."

Yellow locks swayed as Yang shook her head. "Damn nature, you scary."

With an imperceptible grin, Blake bumped her shoulder against Yang's, a smile beaming at her in return. Eyes absorbing the information, she summarized what she read aloud. "They are not so bad. It says here that they are normally docile unless provoked. They have a very powerful bite, strong enough to break the outer casing of shellfish and can inflict serious injury if need be. And… Oh." Blake leaned toward the plaque in interest. "They're even nocturnal."

"They sound a lot like you." Yang flashed her a thumbs up. "Maybe we should dress you in a sexy nurse outfit and see if you match?"

Flustered, Blake could only pummel Yang's arm, her cheeks tinged a rosy pink.

"Hey, it'd be an awesome experiment! For science!" Yang laughed as Blake wailed on her, small fists punching down her poorly constructed defense.

Finished with her onslaught, Blake crossed her arms and turned back to the fish. Yang slid a hand around her shoulders, whining into her human ear as she nuzzled ebony tresses. "Oh come on, kitten! I was only playing!"

"I don't believe you." Blake faced away from the teasing blonde, a pout prevalent on her lips.

Before Yang could quip back, a large _thwack_ interrupted their meaningless banter. The women jumped at the sight of one of the larger sharks in the tank ramming into the glass directly in front of them, as though aiming for the couple. Eyes trained on the rogue shark, they noticed it giving them a fanged smile, the ivory knives in its mouth glinting off the glow of the lights from the aquarium hall before slowly swimming away. Upon close examination, small, needle thin cracks wove along the point of impact, the sturdy glass yielding little under the marine animal's assault.

Blake took a step back, trying to get away from the bizarre happenstance. She turned to her companion, about to suggest they leave before things got any weirder. "Yang, I think we should…" Her sentence died in her throat as she spun around.

Yang was not there.

Stunned, she glanced around wildly, looking for any trace of golden hair. "Yang?" She did not remember feeling Yang's arm leave her shoulder, and yet, she was gone.

She soon began to realize something peculiar as she glanced around the aquarium - there was no aquarium to look at. All around, here, there, everywhere, was an endless black, her surroundings having all but vanished. There was no floor beneath her, nothing holding her up. Above her was the same, a ceilingless void greeting her with darkness that held no resolution. Each direction she looked in, there was nothing to see. She was alone.

Dread left a bad taste in her mouth as she called out again, refusing to give up. "Yang? Where are you?"

A dull cracking sound bellowed from behind her, the echo reminiscent of shattering glass. Not sure what to expect, she whipped around to find that the labyrinth of cracks from the tank remained. She watched in horror, paralyzed, as water squeezed through the openings in the break, the floor slowly pooling with the gushing liquid.

Blake tried to back away, a chill traveling down her spine as she watched the crater grow bigger, the branches spreading, the wall breaking to allow a minuscule waterfall to flow through. The water that had already escaped gave chase, a trail of the fluid snaking after her and splashing against her feet. It seeped through her shoes, her socks, trying to get to her; it was ice cold to the touch.

The breaks spread faster, grew louder. The water sploshed into the translucent walls and formed an inescapable cube of black space, the walls invisible to the naked eye. Blake could only watch, helpless, as the box she found herself in began to flood.

"Yang!" She continued to shout, worry worming its way into the pit of her stomach. "Yang, are you here?"

Nothing. The small room threw her voice back to her, impossibly echoing farther and farther away.

An icy chill began to crawl up her legs with the rising water level, her ankles now immersed. Her calls became desperate, "Yang! Please, answer me!"

A familiar voice called to her from above. "Blake."

She snapped her head toward the voice. High up, a shadow looked down on her from a white square affixed to the ceiling, a gentle luminescence radiating down from it. The shadow - a somewhat circular blob with thin, wild wisps leaving its mass - bobbed side to side, watching her.

Blake soon realized what she was looking at, or - more accurately - who. "Yang! What are you doing up there?" She looked around her, the water reaching up to her knees in her distracted state. Feeling slightly relieved, hope beginning to replace panic, she began to wade around, looking for a way to join her. "How did you get up there?"

The shaded face again shook side to side, pitying her. Yang called back, but something was off, felt off. It was a voice that sounded like Yang, seemed similar to Yang, but it was not her. Her voice never sounded so dead, so distant, so emotionless. "I'm sorry, Blake."

Blake froze, eyes wide as she once again directed her gaze up. "You're… sorry? What do you mean you're sorry?"

"I'm leaving now."

The intense cold reached her thighs, steadily climbing, steadily spreading, soaking her form. Her pitch rose higher as she spoke faster, racing against the time she had left. "What are you talking about?"

"It was always unavoidable."

Blake shook her head as she shouted. "What are you talking about? What was unavoidable?"

"That I would leave you, of course." The indifference rang through the room as the water engulfed her hips, her lower body becoming numb in the frigid pool.

_This isn't real._

Fists clenched at her side, shaking, she demanded to know, "Why?" This sick imitation of Yang could not possibly be real. But then... why did it feel so real?

"This just isn't working, Blake. You and me - it's getting old. Did you really think we were going to work out forever?" Was the simplistic reply, the voice of the not-Yang growing sickeningly sweeter. "But let me guess, you thought that I was different, that you were special to me. That I loved you, cared about you and your precious little feelings. That I was going to stay with you, live out our days together. That I actually _liked _and _wanted_ to be with you." A harsh laugh grated like metal against her eardrums. "You have a hell of an imagination, Blake!"

Blake's teeth began to chatter _clack clack clack _in her skull, but it wasn't because of the cold. She could not possibly be leaving. She refused to believe it. "Y-Yang, p-please..."

Yang did not hesitate to cut Blake short, no small amount of snideness in her speech. "Please what? Stay? As fun as this was, I never wanted to stay. I'm leaving." The square began to grow smaller, something beginning to close the hole, and the shadow that was Yang slowly disappeared. Her last words sang back to Blake, playing on an endless loop as it bounced off the non-existent walls of her prison. "Goodbye, Blake." A single thud echoed in finality, the white light disappearing from the void.

"Wait! Yang!" Blake reached a hand out, grasping at the figure that was leaving her. "Don't leave me here!"

_This is real._

The water rose faster. It lapped at her neck, rising above her chin and finally submerging her head. She kicked off the floor, swimming with the tide as she fought for air in her shrinking space.

"YANG!"

The ceiling came closer, her palm able to graze it. She searched for the panel that hid Yang with numb fingers, looking for any purchase, any crevice, any indents, any sign of escape.

But there was none to found.

She was gone, and she wasn't coming back.

Her world turned black as the water and the cold consumed her, mouth hung open in a silent scream.

* * *

"NO!" Blake shouted, arms flailing wildly in the darkness for but a moment as she tried to sit up. Finding the bed sheets that covered her, she gripped them, knuckles shaking as she tried to quell her erratic pulse and silence the blood roaring in her ears. She glanced around her bedroom as she remembered, recalling that terrible, terrible dream. Panting, she called out softly, "Yang?'

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the disembodied groan from her right. With her night vision, she could make out the lump that laid in the bed beside her, but she had to be sure it was who she wanted it to be. "Y-Yang?"

Yang's voice, her real voice, full of blessed emotion and blissful reality came from the darkness. Albeit it sounded muffled, nasally even. "Right here, kitten."

Blake lunged toward her, the other woman stiffening in surprise at the sudden tackle. The dark woman could sometimes be affectionate, but she never put so much energy into a hug when she was already so close before. Blake shook, her voice breaking as she tried to speak, "Thank goodness."

Grasping the situation, Yang began to relax her stiff posture and rub circles along her spooked girlfriend's back with her left hand. She asked calmly, quietly, "What happened? Did you have a bad dream?"

Blake nodded, burying her head in Yang's shoulder.

"It's okay. I'm here." She repeated the phrase, waiting until she felt Blake's tremors subside into minor trembles before she asked, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Now that it was over, and knowing that it was not real, Blake began to feel slightly better. But she was not ready to leave the embrace, not just yet. "It's stupid."

"If you wake up screaming in the middle of the night, it's not stupid." Blake did not notice as Yang twisted her head to ensure her chin and any other part of her face did not touch the Faunus' hair or ears. "You can tell me whenever you're ready." She stated firmly. Still sweeping along the back of her yukata with the one hand, Yang waited patiently.

Abashed, Blake hid her face in Yang's neck, the blonde feeling the smaller woman's warm breaths hit her neck as she continued to breathe deeply, forcing away the last remnants of grim residue the nightmare left behind. "We were together. On an outing."

Hearing her voice hitch, Yang gently prompted her to continue. "Go slow, I'm listening." She believed Blake needed to get this out of system, and the only way to do that was to face it head on.

"We were at an aquarium, looking at nurse sharks."

Yang nodded as she moved her hand to stroke Blake's hair. Fingers soothingly scratching her scalp and calming her as she listened intently.

"You made a bad joke about me wearing a nurses outfit for science."

Against her better judgement, Yang could not help the small grin that sprung upon her lips. "Sounds like me. What happened next?" Her smile fled as quickly as it came when Blake continued her narration.

"One of the sharks headbutted the glass and... when I turned toward you to say we should leave, you were gone." She gripped Yang's side tighter, fisting the vest top she wore to bed. "I called out for you, but you weren't there. Then, there was nothing around me but the cracks in the glass that the shark made."

"Nothing else at all?"

"No, just black all around me. Besides that awful, awful glass."

Yang looked down toward her love, eyes scrunching in puzzlement as she tried to locate her as best she could. From Blake's pause, she could tell that this was where it all spiraled down. "What happened with the glass?"

Blake inhaled deeply, chest pressing tightly against Yang's unyielding side as she was flooded with her familiar lavender scent. "Then there was water coming in through the cracks. It was so, so cold. The water kept pouring in and in and _in_, endlessly, and... I was in a room doomed to flood."

"Did anything else happen?"

"Mhm." Blake's glowing golden globes, able to see in even the darkest of dark nights, saw nothing but the shaded form of the woman beside her. She traced the line of Yang's other arm with her eyes, her hand raised toward her face, out of her range of vision. "You came back."

"That's a good thing." Yang paused in her caresses, eyeing the clinging Faunus. "Right?"

Black hair tickled her as Blake shook her head.

"Oh."

"You weren't you." Blake informed. "You were somewhere else, another room of some sort in the ceiling, and you were looking down at me while you said over and over, 'I'm leaving you.'" Blake's throat began to close, her ears quivering. "And then you left me there to drown."

Yang violently leaned back, aghast. "_What_? I'd never do that!"

Blake tried to fight back the sobs that threatened to escape her, shaking her head as her voice quivered. "I… I tried to tell myself that, b-but you left me and… and I couldn't..."

Yang, realizing that aggressiveness was not the right reaction, softly cooed to the distraught Faunus as she drew her back into her side. "Oh no. No, no, no. It's okay now. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Blake softly whispered back. "I know."

Adrenaline still coursing through her at the recollection, Blake found it near impossible to fall back asleep. As the night wore on, she began to steady her breaths, her trembles desisting entirely, and her dream becoming naught but a horrible memory, the remaining vestiges of the nightmare fading away as she listened to the steady rhythm of Yang's heartbeat.

Blake looked up at the still awake woman that held her, feeling guilty over the whole ordeal. "Sorry about this, Yang."

The blonde waved it off with her still nasally sounding voice. "Don't worry about it. I'm here if you need me."

Finally getting a good look at her, Blake could see that Yang's strange pitch was due to the hand covering her nose. "Why are you holding your nose?"

In response, Yang released her hold and sat up, turning away from the other woman and feeling around blindly in the dark with her unoccupied left hand for the lamp at her nightstand. The couple winced in the harsh light, momentarily blinded.

"Honey?" Sitting up as well and blinking to regain her vision, Blake returned her gaze to the now colored blonde hair, her head turning back round to face her. "What's wro - Oh my god!"

With the light on, Blake could now clearly see the trail of blood coating the bottom of her girlfriend's right hand and trickling down her arm and chin. The crimson liquid already beginning to harden and crust from her neglect to tend to whatever injury was causing it. No wonder she had only been using one arm when she hugged instead of her usual, bear hugging two.

A hand flew up to cover Blake's mouth. "What _happened_?"

Yang pointed her non-bloody hand at her, a chuckle breaking through her serious demeanor. "I'm pretty sure you happened."

Blake quickly darted up from the bed and to the dresser on the other end of the room. A tissue box in hand as she returned. "Are you saying that I…?"

"Hit my face like a snooze button on a Monday morning? Yes." Yang nodded in thanks at the tissue she was given, bringing her hand away to stopper the source - her nose. With one nostril plugged, Yang held out her hand again. "Give me another, please."

"I am so, so, sorry." Blake apologized profusely as she passed the blonde another kleenex. "I didn't mean to hit you."

"I kinda figured that, kitten." Yang responded affectionately, not a trace of anger to be found. "I don't blame ya." She winced as she plugged the other side, now fully relying on her mouth for respiration. "How bad's it look?"

Scooting closer over the sheets, Blake inspected the nasal centerpiece of Yang's face for any suggestions that anything was out of place. "It looks a little swollen, maybe bruised." She breathed out in relief. "I don't think it's broken." She stood up, heading for the bedroom door.

"Where ya going?"

"To the kitchen to get you an ice pack. That is just going to get worse if we don't ice it."

Bouncing up from the mattress, Yang skipped along behind her. "I'll come with ya!"

Blake turned around, blocking the hallway and preventing Yang from going any further. "No you're not! Get back to bed and rest."

Yang scrunched her eyes quizzically. "And what'll that do?"

"Uh…" Blake lifted a finger, mouth open in preparation for a smart and well-thought out lecture as to why she needed to go back to bed. She then froze as she realized there was no rhyme nor reason for anyone to have bedrest over a bruised nose. "Make me feel better?"

"Hmm…" Deep in thought, Yang tapped a finger against her chin as she stared at the ceiling, looking ridiculous with red dribble on her face and the tissues crammed up her nostrils. "Nah. I'm still coming with. Need to wash my face off anyways."

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose in defeat, not even bothering to try and win a losing battle. Besides, Yang did have a point. "Fine."

Trekking downstairs to the kitchen, Yang went to the sink to wash off the blood with cool water as Blake went to the freezer to find something that would make a suitable ice pack. Finding a bag of frozen corn, she threw it to Yang, the blonde deftly catching it and holding it to her nose.

Blake walked over to her injured love, worry craving her features. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"While you were screaming and crying that I was gonna leave you alone?" Light amethyst eyes stared at her in shock. "What on earth would I have said? 'Sorry babe, I care about you and whatevs, but I need to leave you alone so I can go wash the blood off my face.'" Those same purple gems rolled in their sockets. "I'm not that inconsiderate, thanks."

A cheek puffed out in indignation. "I only screamed once and I did not cry."

"My mistake." Yang smiled. "You just got snot all over me from your 'not' crying." That awarded her a smack on the arm. "Ow! Trying to give me bruises all the over place tonight aren'tcha?"

"Sorry." Blake rubbed the spot she hit in reconciliation, ears laying flat on her head as she apologized.

Smile still in place, Yang set down the bag of corn, opening her arms toward the cowed but infinitely adorable Faunus. "Come here you silly cat."

Safely in the blonde's embrace, Blake squeezed her. "I'm so sorry for hitting you."

Yang smiled into her shoulder. "No real harm done." Her grin twisted itself into a smirk. "You know how you can make it up to me?"

Blake pulled away, face set into a stony frown. She had a hunch on what her lewd girlfriend was going to ask. "No."

"Hey! I wasn't gonna ask for _that." _Yang huffed, offended at such an accusation. Lightly touching her light blue nose, her schnauze looking partially frozen in the bright lights of the kitchen, she tenderly rubbed her injury. "Like I would even enjoy it as I am now. What I _meant_ was that we could play the Xbox or something! We're still doing that one mission on Assasin's Creed. Whaddya say?"

"Right now?" The clock attached to the oven openly announced that it was three in the morning, and Yang needed to head in to work early tomorrow. It was probably best if she got some rest.

Blonde hair bounced in place as the head it was attached to nodded vigorously. "Since I need to stay up and ice this thing, how about it? Unless…" Yang's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You want to go back to bed?"

Blake paused, thinking. The chances of sleeping herself into another nightmare twice in one night was about as appealing as a rotten banana. So, with a sigh, she relented, those accursed lilac eyes boring into her quickly crumbling her resolve. "Oh fine. We'll play for a little while."

Yang jumped up and hugged her before she ran into the living room, a spring in her step. "Yay! Let's go!"

"Hey!" Blake sharply called, grabbing the melting corn off the counter. "Ice your fluffing nose or we're not playing!"


	3. Dance Like No Ones Watching

A/N: This one ended up short and more 'fluffy', but I hope you guys like it anyway. Songs referenced by order of appearance: _Shadows_ by Lindsey Stirling, _Two_ by Lenka, _Nice and Slow_ by Max Frost, and _One Minute_ by Krewella.

_Summary: Blake feels a little lonely at home alone, so she puts on some music._

* * *

A door slammed as a foot pushed it closed, the owner humming a little tune as she walked down the hallways within her home, grocery bags in hand. The library had been closed down for renovations for the week, resulting in Blake having the whole day to herself to do whatever she desired. She had accomplished numerous tasks on her agenda in the span of one morning: organized her calendar, cleaned, did laundry, spruced up the backyard like she had been meaning to do, finished that book that had been sitting inert on her shelf just begging for her to read it, and went shopping.

She put away her purchased goods in record time, as she had done with everything she had set out to do today. With a huff of satisfaction she turned from the cabinets that held the last of her placed items to face the rest of the house. From here, she could view the empty lounge, still kitchen, and deserted hallways that led to out to the other functions of her home, all equally devoid of life. She could almost envision the tumbleweed blowing through her living room in a light breeze.

It was too quiet.

Blake hummed as she thought, fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the counter she leaned on as she wondered what it was that she was missing. Normally, the librarian was all for a quiet, lazy afternoon after running around all morning, getting things done that needed doing, and curling up with a fresh cup of tea and another crisp, unread book containing a new world just waiting for her to discover.

However, after becoming acquainted with more vociferous company that allowed little quiet over the last few years, silence had become far lonelier than it used to be. A problem that required a remedy, and the only remedy she could think of was Yang or her friends. As they were all busy living life or at their own respective occupations, she needed something else. Something that would also help alleviate her of the the pent up energy that demanded she get up and _move, do_ something, anything.

There had to be a way to blanket the silence, put an end to the insufferable quiet that permeated through the household, to quell the absence of sound.

_Snap_. She snapped her fingers. She knew what was missing.

Music.

Epiphany made, she retrieved her phone from its place at her wall charger and hooked it up to Yang's kitchen stereo, a simple set of speakers that could connect to any music platform. A quick flick of her fingers and it was on, all she needed was her pick of tune and she was set.

Blake furrowed her eyebrows as she stared intensely at the glowing screen resting on the kitchen counter, pondering. What _was_ she in the mood for? A melody that would fade into the background? A calming tune that would sooth the soul of any raging beast? A preppy beat that would get anyone moving on the dance floor?

She scrolled through her playlist briefly, a sly smile in place as she pressed her finger to the touch sensitive surface and started her song of choice.

A steady, rhythmic beat thrummed through the speakers, low and tentative. Blake raised the volume, her head beginning to bob slightly as the music grew louder. A smile found itself curving her lips up as the violin that accompanied the song broke through in earnest, mercifully tearing down the silence she had blocked out with an energizing melody. The classical instrument wove through the modern beats with grace, echoing through the lone corridors with no small amount of presence.

Playlist set to shuffle, Blake went about finishing the rest of her chores. Hips sashaying, body swaying, and tail waving, her movements became second nature as she listened and let the music engulf her through every action with each number that passed by. A snazzy jazz swing accompanied her as she organized her bookshelf, an uplifting dance tune cheered her on as she dusted, and a fitting rock serenade shouted her thoughts about how she felt about taking out the trash and putting away clean dishes.

It was not everyday that she had the house to herself, and as such it was not common for her to listen to music aloud as she was. She mused that she would have to do this more often. The smile adorning her features never leaving as she listened, too absorbed in the lyrics, the beat, the never-ending euphoria lifting her spirits that came from doing something different. She almost wished she would not run out of things to do.

The next random song that popped up made her pause as she walked by the den, her grin growing wider at the familiar clapping of the soundtrack that started the piece off. She flowed back into the living room adjacent the kitchen, the larger space allowing her to move freely without constraint. She mouthed the words as the vocalist recited her lyrics, voice chiming through the room as Blake gyrated her hips in time with the guitar, her fingers playing along with the invisible pianist that joined in intermittently. It was heaven to her ears.

She bounced around the room, feet finding a steady swing as she performed her loose, uncoordinated, unplanned dance. Thoughts filled with a certain lilac-eyed blonde as she digested the words that fueled her with the adrenaline of movement. Her own ebony hair gliding through the air with her as she shook her head and her rear. She was thankful that no one was watching.

Halfway through the ditty, Blake jumped at the 'Wow!' that the singer belted out, landing perfectly in a pose with her feet spread in a strong stance, one hand on her hip, the other extended toward the sky in a clenched fist, a beaming smile completing her superstar visage. Before she started to move again, the song continuing in an instrumental break, she caught a flash of yellow hair in her peripheral vision. It seemed she had an audience.

Blake shrieked, pushed back on her derriere by a non-existent force. Yang, fresh from the gym and dressed in her usual casual wear, laughed at the show, clapping her hands in time with the beat as she resumed watching. Not wishing to shout over the music, Yang mouthed _K__eep going! _to her, a sunny grin on her face.

Blake hurriedly rushed off the floor to the stereo and turned down the music to a reasonable volume so that they would not have to yell. Not shutting it off completely for fear she would die of embarrassment in the subsequent silence, her pink cheeks a testament to her chagrin. She hissed at the laughing woman, "Yang! How long have you been there?"

Yang joined her at the counter, reaching for the stereo to turn the volume back up. "Hey, don't stop now! You were really good!"

Blake grabbed the wrist on a journey toward her phone, halting its path as the turned her feral yellow eyes toward the intruder of her private time. "Answer the question."

Yang answered her honestly, her spirits refusing to be doused at Blake's mix of a flustered and defensive attitude, smile still in place. "Not long. Only a few minutes or so."

"Why didn't you _say anything_?"

"And miss the sexy show? As if!" Yang laughed as Blake let go of her wrist and buried her face in her hands, the blonde enveloping the smaller woman in one of her patented bear hugs. "Best thing I've come home to yet."

A cat ear flicked down and grazed her cheek as the Faunus in her embrace tried to pull away, a small whine escaping her. "Let me go. I don't like you right now."

"Whaaat?" Yang gasped dramatically, her hold on Blake coiling stronger around her midsection as she twirled her around, her back pressed against the taller woman's front. Her breath breezed over Blake's human ear as she whispered to her, "But I was gonna ask if you wanted to dance with me." She nuzzled her nose into midnight black tresses, a purr erupting from the blonde as she began to sway her hips, Blake already mirroring her movements. "Would you like to dance?"

She could not see the ever-growing color on her girlfriend's face, only the nod she gave in consent.

The next track that popped up was slow, a simple, continuous beat accenting a jazzy voice for a sensual mood. Blake thought it odd how it her phone seemed able to read the atmosphere, but that thought quickly went out the window as Yang began to move their feet in a simple side-step pattern. Easy to follow and easy to do; it made it ever easier to focus on the one they were with.

The two women slowly moved as they rocked their bodies together, Yang setting the pace with her hands settled over Blake's. The Faunus allowing the other to guide her through the motions in a synchronized dance. Slowly, Yang led her out and into a spin, raising their arms high so Blake could twirl before she pulled her back flush against her chest, putting them face to face.

Blake was not short by any means, but the soft, heated gaze she saw as she looked up made her feel as though she were shrinking, growing infinitely smaller as she melted under the warmth of those often infuriating purple irises. The hold around her waist tightened as she fought the urge to look away, Yang not allowing her any escape. Whatever will to leave she had left quickly fell away as Yang leaned down to her.

Blake suddenly pushed the other woman away, her hands on muscled shoulders and feline ears perking up at the new sound of an electric synthesizer she picked up from the stereo. Her eyes widening as she recognized the song.

Yang, slightly irritated that they were interrupted, brought Blake back to face her, a hand firmly grasping her chin. "Hey, what're you looking at?" She paid little to no attention to the music, the words flying in one ear and out the other.

"Nothing." Blake gave her a smile, a weak one if Yang's narrowed eyes spoke any of her suspicions. "I just want to shut off my phone, I think it's been on long enough…"

Arms returning to circle her middle, Yang hugged Blake to her before she could take a single step. "Nah, let it play. The stereo doubles as a charger ya know." Her attempt to lean in for that kiss she sought was thwarted before it could begin, Blake turning away from her with her eyes focused on the counter that held her phone.

"Does it? Then I just want to change the song really quick, I do not want to listen to this one." Blake struggled, fighting to break free of her human restraints to get to her goal.

Yang had no idea what Blake was worrying about, but her misunderstanding of the situation did little to deter her from teasing. "What's so bad about this song, kitten? Sounds nice!" From the lyrics that she was now listening too, she surmised - much to her enjoyment - that the song leaned a tad to the dirty side. To top it off, it was on Blake's personal playlist. "Let it play."

In her confined hold, Blake internally groaned. Yang was going to have a field day with this one. As the female vocalist continued to sing, the part she was dreading rapidly coming up, she wondered if she would have a better chance at freedom if she bit Yang's arm. Before she could test her escape plans, the words she didn't want heard were sung:

_Get me on the rise, get me, get me on the up and up _

_When I thrash and cry, baby you ain't going rough enough_

_I'm your kitty girl and your back is like my scratching post_

_C'mon make me scream, like I- like I- like I seen a ghost_

"Ohooo~!" Yang nodded as the track continued to play out, a devious glint in her eyes. "I like the way she thinks."

A palm found itself slapped to Blake's forehead, the Faunus regretting - not for the first time - that she had gotten together with someone stronger than herself. "Urgh…" She knew Yang would laugh over her choice in music - it had been inevitable.

However, instead of dying from more Yang-induced embarrassment, Blake found herself melting in a different way. Unstoppable shudders racing down her spine as Yang began to nibble on the same ear that she had been whispering into previously. "I like this song, you should play it more often."

She bit her lip as the blonde adjusted her mouth to pepper slow kisses along the upper part of her jaw, trying to draw a more auditory reaction from the stubborn woman in her arms. One of her hands traveled up a toned thigh, locating Blake's tail. The tall athlete indulged herself on the velvety feel of the limb wrapping around her forearm. "You know what we should do?"

Blake tried hard to keep the stutter out of her voice, determined to not let Yang get the best of her. "What?"

"What the song suggests, kitty girl." Her voice lowered as she brought her voice back to Blake's ear, her words sending a thrill of excitement through the other. "Although, I plan on taking longer than a minute."

Blake resolved to play music at home more often.


	4. Friendly Meeting

A/N: I completely forgot to mention that these one-shots are not chronological. They will be taking place at various points in time, sometimes in the past, like this one. One could say this is not long after they first became a couple and started meeting each other's friends.

I usually make it a point to avoid writing Nora - even though I really like her - because I'm not so sure I can capture her character. I'll let you all be the judges of that.

_Summary: Blake meets Nora for the first time. She is not impressed._

* * *

Yang idly flicked the straw to her drink, the flimsy stick twirling around in her pink beverage. Palm supporting her head, she glumly wished she were anywhere but here, the bar of the restaurant she was holed up in was lacking in the fun department. At the very least, she wished her girlfriend were here so they could be lonely together. Wherever Blake was, she sure was taking her sweet time getting to her.

"Heya partner! Why so down in the dumps?" An annoyingly gruff voice called from beside her. Whatever guy was vying for her attention this time even had the audacity to put their hand on her's. A bold move.

With a puff of air, she decided to humor whomever thought they had a chance with her. "Look buddy, I don't think - " Her pre-prepped rejection died prematurely in her throat when she saw the periwinkle twinkle in the eyes of a familiar face. "Nora!"

"Yangie!" Speaking normally, Nora engulfed her friend in a hug, one that was enthusiastically returned. She pulled back, her joyful smile still in place as she eyed the blonde in the bar seat. "I haven't seen ya in like… two whole days!"

Yang bit back a laugh as she leaned back herself, lavender eyes lit with delight at seeing her friend again. "Has it been that long already?"

"Pft, yeah. But who's countin'?" Nora swiftly plopped into the stool beside her, cupping her face in her hands as she gave Yang her undivided attention. "What are the odds we'd both be here, huh? Whatcha been up to? Been to any wild parties lately?"

Yang waggled a finger towards her orange-haired companion. "Aha, funny. I stopped going to wild parties a long time ago Nora, you know that."

She tilted her head. "Are we talking about the 'just last week' kind of long time or…"

"As in I stopped in high school kind of long time, geez!" Yang playfully shoved a grinning Nora's shoulder. After all these years, their playful banter remained the same. "What about you? How's life? Ren been treating ya well?"

Her eyes began to take on a whole new shine as she gushed about her long time best friend turned boyfriend, just as she always did. "He's super fantabulous and gentlemanly of course! Just last week he left behind sweets in the kitchen everyday for me with little notes attached to them since he couldn't have breakfast with me in the mornings because he had uber-serious business to do at work and I couldn't see him that often and that made me really sad so I brought him and his co-workers lunch at work and even though I broke their coffee machine they still liked!" She finished all in one breath. Yang admired Nora's skill and lung capacity. Truly a master.

"That's great Nora!" Yang cheered her on with a smile. "You both always did make a silly couple, in a good way."

"I know!" Nora giggled. When they subsided, she put a hand near her left breast, her smile becoming gentle. "My little sloth and I will be together forever."

"Pfft." Yang almost spat out her drink. "You still call him that?"

Nora cried out indignantly. "Of course I do!"

"Do you two still do the call?"

Nora's eyes began to shift side to side, as though scrounging through her brains for an answer that wouldn't end in the blonde ridiculing her.

"Oh my god you do, don't you."

"Maybe!"

Shaking her head with a chuckle, Yang planted a heavy hand atop Nora's shoulder. "It's okay Nora, you guys are special that way."

Nora accepted the light teasing with a pinch of salt. "What about you? How's it going on the S.S. Relation?"

"Can't complain." Yang delivered her vague response with another flick to her straw, once again watching as it madly swung around in circles and upset the murky pink liquid in the tall, frosted glass.

Nora eyed the drink critically. "Aren't you still a little too young to order drinks from the bar? You're still twenty right?" She gasped, palms slapping her cheeks. "Oh my gosh did your birthday pass already?"

"Shh!" Yang held a finger to her lips while her other hand waved her hand up and down, silently asking her to settle down. "They don't know that!"

"They don't _what_?"

"Pfft." Yang waved off her concerns. "What people don't know, won't hurt 'em. They didn't even card me. One flash a' these babies," She motioned toward her generous bosom. "And no one ever asks for my ID."

"You flashed them? And I _missed it_?"

"No, I didn't actually - Wait, what?"

Nora chuckled at Yang's confusion. "I'm kidding!"

Yang sighed as she took a sip of her beverage. "You're gonna be the death of me someday with jokes like that."

"Well, either way, I'm pretty sure that what ya did is illegal. Somehow." Nora nodded, but did nothing to remedy the unlawful activity happening before her. She then began to giggle in her bubbly way. "Scandalous Yang, so naughty! What are you even drinking?"

"Virgin Strawberry Sunrise."

Nora blinked. "Isn't that just strawberry juice or something?"

"Same thing." Yang shrugged.

"Why didn't you just get a seat somewhere else and order one from a waiter?"

"And have half as much fun while I wait three times as long for my stinkin' drink? No way!" Making sure the bartender was not close by, Yang leaned toward Nora with a devious smirk. "The guy tending today was a stammering mess! He couldn't stop stuttering when I asked him, 'Hey sweetie pie, how about a drink?'." Yang leaned back and laughed, her friend jovially guffawing beside her. It felt good to laugh, the best medicine to cure what ails a brooding spirit. "The boys they send to tend the bars these days always ogle and get me what I want without a hassle. Amateurs."

"Hoo boy, you know how to have a good time." Nora wiped away a tear that had slipped through her eyes. Gathering herself, she gave Yang a cursory glance. "By the way, I never did ask, but whatcha doing over here all by your lonesome? Out on the prowl tonight?" Nora wiggled her eyebrows.

Yang's gave her a sarcastic eyeroll before her expression became despondent, returning to looking forlornly down at her drink, negativity clouding her usually bright outlook. "At a bar and grill? Nah, I'm just waiting for someone."

"Oooo, you gotta hot date?" A nudge to the ribs prompted a small smile from the blonde. "You do, don't you!"

"Alright, you got me." Yang held her hands up in surrender, her smile becoming wider. "I'm waiting for my date. They're a little late is all."

Nora bounced in her seat, ecstatic at the news and brimming with joy for her friend. She threw her arms into the air with a celebratory shout before she engulfed Yang in a hug. "Ooo! You have a date! Who is he? Do I know him? What's his name? Is he taller than you? Does he like to cuddle? It's important that he's a cuddler! Is he cuuuute?"

Yang chuckled nervously. "Uh, about that, ya see…"

A cough and a new voice from behind stopped Yang's heart in fright. "Am I… interrupting something?"

At the same time, Nora and Yang twisted their heads to find the source of their interruption, both of them spying an irate dark haired woman tapping her foot with her arms crossed. The outlandish bow atop her head not detracting any from the smoldering intensity of her glare.

Yang slowly reached up to her shoulders, detaching Nora's arms and manually putting them back at the bubbly woman's sides. Her stool screeched across the floor in her haste to get up, the young blonde all but running to their new company. "Blake! You finally made it!"

Nora tilted her head curiously as Blake shot her a suspicious glare. "Yes, sorry for being late. There was heavy traffic leaving the doctor's office."

She quickly waved a hand in dismissal, a strained smile sugar-coating her words. "Don't worry about it! At least you're here now!" Yang made to move toward the other woman, arms opening in a hug, but was stopped short by a push to her clavicle.

Blake used her other hand to point at Nora, her eyes having never left the orange female's features. "Who's this?"

At being addressed, Nora jumped from her seat, putting one hand on her hip and the other to her forehead in a salute as she introduced herself. "Hello, citizen! A pleasure to make your acquaintance! For I am -!"

Yang put a hand on the energetic woman's mouth. "This is my friend, Nora Valkyrie."

A dark colored eyebrow rose at this. "Friend?"

During their exchange, Yang's hand removed from her mouth, Nora had taken to analyzing the potential new friend presented to her. As she openly stared she felt that there was something about Blake - something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something that reminded her of… of…

Nora's smile became even bigger, her gleeful shout disrupting the whispered bickers of the quarreling duo. "Kitty!"

"W-what?" Blake took a step back, eyes wide as she tried to think quickly. She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the restaurant, a nervous warble in her voice that she tried to conceal with a weary grimace. "Is there a cat behind me?"

Nora leaped forward, almost bringing the confused woman down to the floor with the force of her hug. "I mean you, silly!" Blake adopted a horrified look as Nora continued to coo at her with exclamations of 'Aw's and 'Cute's. "You look like a little kitty cat!"

"Come on, Nora, she doesn't look like a cat." Unlike Blake, Yang's voice was calm and collected as she reassured her. "Now if you could just let her go before she scratches you…"

Nora leaned back and blinked. "Whoops, sorry!" She jumped out of Blake's way, mile wide smile still in place as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Sometimes I forget that not everybody likes hugs!"

"Oh, she likes hugs." Yang leaned in toward a still flustered Blake, capturing her and drawing her close as she tried to regain her bearings on her personal space. "Don't ya, kitten?"

A small 'oof!' was heard as Blake elbowed the taller blonde in the ribs. "What did you _just_ say?"

She coughed as she tried to get out a form of apology. "Sorry…"

Nora giggled at the two of them, approaching Yang's other side. "You okay there, Yangie?"

Blake bristled at the nickname. "'Yangie?'"

Recovered, Yang quickly waved a hand to diffuse the situation that had yet to erupt. "Nora gives everyone nicknames, Blake. Really."

"Blake…" Nora rolled the word around in her mouth as she stepped up to her yet again, this time leaving a good foot of space between them. The darker haired woman took Yang's arm and gave Nora a harsh glare, as though challenging her to do something about it. "Are you Yang's date?"

She shot Yang an inquisitive stare, eyebrow raised, before answering and returning her glare two-fold. "Yes…?"

Yang chuckled, liking the strange displays of affection Blake was displaying with their linked arms before quelling Blake's hesitant claims with a formal introduction. "Nora, this is my girlfriend, Blake Belladonna."

Nora almost squealed at seeing Blake smile for the first time since her arrival upon hearing Yang's softly spoken words. She then stuck out a hand that Blake eyed like when she first met Yang, expecting confetti to shoot out at any second. "Nice ta meetcha!"

Not one to be discourteous, Blake returned the gesture and gripped the proffered limb in a light shake. "Likewise."

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left ta tell ya!" Periwinkle blues, once welcoming with warmth and cheer, narrowed into hardened blocks of ice that zoned in on their target as she gripped the hand in her grasp much harder, Blake trying her best not to flinch at the sudden spike in pressure and pain. "Remember, Yang's my friend. If you even so much as think about hurting her don't think you'll be let off easy."

Blake gulped, pupils shrinking unto themselves to form pinpricks in response to the venomous tone. "What do you mean?"

"You break her heart I'll break your legs, kapiche?"

Yang waved a hand between them, startling both women. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't threaten her, Nora. I kinda like this one, and I don't need you chasing her off for me."

"Sorry!" She laughed as stepped back. "Don't mind me!"

Blake thought it rather hard not to, Yang chuckling at the aghast expression she wore and the sudden tightening of her grip on her arm as the shorter woman silently prayed that her legs would be spared.

A deep, male voice called from somewhere within the recesses of booths hidden in the twists and turns of the restaurant. "Nora! The food's here."

"And that's my cue!" Nora winked to the couple before her, bouncing away with a backward wave. "I've got my own date to get back to, you two have a fun and good evening!"

Yang waved with a smile at her retreating friend. "You too! Later, Nora!"

Finally left alone with Blake, Yang glanced down to see how Blake was holding up. "So…" She began, not sure what was safe to ask her moody companion. "What's up?"

"She knew I was Faunus." Worried amber looked up at her, reflecting the lights of the ceiling above them. "And she knew I was dating you."

"Well, I kinda told her I was waiting for my date, so no surprise there. I'm not even surprised she was cool with you being a girl." Yang shrugged, leading them back to her previous seat at the bar. Not disturbed in the slightest at the sixth sense her friend possessed. "The Faunus thing?" She pulled the chair out for her companion for the night, a mumbled thank you inciting a smile from her before she sat herself down. "She always was too observant for her own good, but I trust her not to tell anybody."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's a good friend."

Blake allowed a relaxed smile of her own, loosening the tense muscles she did not even remember tightening. "A friend…"

"_Although,_" Yang propped her head up with a fist, her elbow leaned casually on the bar's table and one of her trademark, devious smirks up turned the corners of her lips. "You sure as heck surprised me. Didn't take you for the jealous type, kitten."

"Shut up."

* * *

A/N: Mostly inspired by a review from depression76. While I did not really want to write Blake meeting one of Yang's exes, I chose instead for her to get the wrong impression of Nora upon their first meeting.


	5. Bookstore Venture

_Summary: Blake has Yang accompany her to the bookstore._

* * *

"No, I don't wanna!"

"Yang, stop it! It's just the bookstore."

The named woman pursed her lips as she let go of the street lamp she had attached herself to, frowning as she thrust her hands into her jacket pockets. Her chilled hands thankful for the warm relief and safety the thick leather provided from the unforgiving winter weather. "You mean hell?"

A black hat hid the irritated flick of a feline ear, Blake not happy to hear her personal paradise slandered with such misplaced views. "No, I mean a place that sells novels and other literary knick-knacks."

Yang scoffed in an attempt to veil a giggle, her girlfriend's outdated vernacular was far more terrible than her jokes in her opinion. "Personally, I don't see the difference."

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" Blake agreed, tugging the tall woman's arms through the simple glass door of the entrance. As they entered, Yang was delighted to hear the Faunus give her signature purr as the warm air the interior of the building provided enveloped them.

She tried to not let that distract her. "I only wanted to go to one place, Blake, one place! We've gone to four different places you wanted to go to today!" She pointed an accusing finger at the hand scripted writing of the store's name on the outer window, the frown on her face loudly announcing her displeasure. "This makes five!"

Critical gold met challenging amethyst, starting a determined contest that neither woman backed down from in an unspoken contest of wills. "And just what was this place you wanted to go to?"

Yang flinched, breaking the contest within seconds of the start as she glanced away, Blake internally cheering in victory. "I wanted to go to a store…"

"So I gathered." Blake deadpanned. "What kind of store?"

Yang gave her a sheepish grin. "A toy store?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and gripped her elbow with her other hand, nonplussed. "A toy store?"

Silence. Looking back up, Blake was greeted with the scene of Yang fiddling with her hands clasped in front of her, eyes downcast and bottom lip held hostage between her teeth in a slight, nervous, bite - as though she wanted to say something but was holding herself back from making that mistake.

Blake used the same hand that pinched her nose to run down the side of her face in exasperation, she never could resist the pout. "Maybe I'll accompany you after."

Not one to look down on small favors, Yang immediately brightened up, giving a hearty cheer and a fierce hug to a blank faced Blake. "Yay! You do love me!"

"Yeah, yeah." With a glance around to make sure no one was watching, Blake briefly returned the affectionate hug with a tight squeeze and a quick kiss before walking off with purpose. She had books to find.

Yang let her go and watched as she left in that usual way she walked away, legs and hips displaying their usual sassy strut. She had learned first-hand over the course of their relationship to simply let the woman have her books, no questions asked.

In the end, Yang silently followed her Faunus through the seemingly endless wooden shelves, the tall bookcases obstructing her view of the surrounding store. If she knew Blake like she thought she did, it would only be a matter of time before she led them to -

"Yup." Yang nodded at the sign attached to the latest bookcase they passed, labeling the science fiction and fantasy section.

Blake brought them to a halt upon entering the aisle, the darker woman not even noticing that her company still remained with her as she began to hunt through the shelves. That was fine by Yang, who watched, bemused, at the small wriggles of a hidden tail beneath the layers covering the Faunus' midsection expressing her content.

With a giggle, Yang peered over her girlfriend's shoulder as she browsed, the wooden slabs that held the books heavily laden with worlds of new discovery, knowledge, mystery, and... whatever else she could think of. She watched as Blake pulled one out and flipped it to the back, reading the synopsis silently.

Yang, still peering over Blake's shoulder, not so much. "Roy was a young boy without a care in the world, a boy who lived peacefully with his parents and his best friend, Jan. By a twist of fate, both boys blah blah blah… Will they find solace in the revelations that the Masked Man of Mejik has to offer or in… each other?"

"Yang!" Blake hissed as she realized that everything she had been reading along to was said out loud. "What the heck?"

"What?" She shrugged innocently. "I'm bored!"

"Why don't you go do something to entertain yourself then?"

When Blake turned back round to face the shelf, Yang lowered her head to rest on her shoulder as she huffed. "Like what? There's nothing to do."

Blake rolled the unwanted head off her shoulder. "I don't know, read a book?"

Yang looked as though she had been slapped in the face. "Read? You want me to _read_?"

Blake pushed her back a step, the unexpected, unusually cold, gesture sending her reeling back with little resistance.

"Hey!"

"Go read something!"

Yang pouted, small 'boo's muttered under her breath as she walked to the shelf behind her companion. "Fine, maybe I will."

She pulled a book at random, the bold, bendable material of the title reading _Andromeda's Fall_. Sounded interesting enough. Opening it to a random page, she began to read the text, a grin soon stretching across her lips at the nonsensical scene described before her. She did not have to read the beginning of the story to appreciate the meaning behind the character's interactions.

"Hey, Blake."

"What." She snapped back, barely hiding the irritation veiled in her tone.

It did not deter Yang like Blake hoped. "Read this with me."

"Read what?" With a turn of her neck, her eyes alighted upon the open book in the blonde's grasp.

"The dialogue for this. Let's read it together!"

Blake tilted her head in confusion, her annoyance slowly fading. "Why?"

"Why not?"

Her expression fell flat. "No."

"Come on! Just a few lines!"

She sighed, placing the book she had been analyzing horizontally on the shelf level with her chest. It did not seem like Yang was going to give up easily. "If I do, will you stop bugging me?"

"Yes!"

"Fine." Turning about face, she gave Yang a hard stare. "Show me where to start."

Yang dove right into it, smoothing out the page with a hand. "Okay, for this, I'll be the character McKee, you'll be Larkin."

"Joy."

Yang ignored Blake's sarcastic remark. "We'll just be reading their dialogues." She pointed a lithe finger at a certain line in the text mid-page. "Starting here. I'll begin!" She coughed to clear her throat before reading, her words sounding slightly indifferent with slight, undecided emotion as she recited the words on the paper. "'Roger that ma'am. Come on, Hawkins… Let's get some chow.'"

Blake found her place, starting off where the next quotations began in the same tone of voice as Yang. "'Right. If you want to call that slop 'chow. I have an idea, rather than keep these here parts, we sell hard-charging suck-ups like you! Then, next time we get a chance, we'll party.'"

"'You do that. And I'll make sure your 'borg hears about it.'"

A smile found its way on Blake's face as she continued to speak, eyes scrunching in amusement as her tone became more natural. "'God, you're a pain in the ass. Why do I put up with you?'"

Yang laughed, but not because her character did. "'You shouldn't. Let's call it quits here and now.'"

"'Oh, no you don't. We're like two halves of the same thing.'"

"'Two halves of _what_ thing?'"

Blake gave a nostalgic sigh. "'You know. Us.'"

Reaching the cut off that signified the end of the paragraph, Blake looked up from the book, curious. "So, what was the point of that?"

A wink, an arm around her shoulders and a poke to the nose made her scrunch her face in confusion. "I wanted to see what you would do. You are quite the actor, Blake! I felt so much _emotion_." She gushed with enthusiasm, a hand on her heart.

Blake placed her fingers to her temples to try and stave off the on-coming headache. "Would you please go read somewhere else?"

"Whaaat? No way! Let's do another!" She reached around Blake with her other arm, fingers brushing against numerous other titles as she looked for something that stood out. "_John Dies At The End_? Ooo, that sounds fun. Let's read from this one!"

Blake turned back toward her shelf with a huff. "You said if I did it the first time, you'd stop bugging me."

The familiar feeling of strong, warm arms slithering around her waist and the exasperated groan in her ear put a frown on her face. "Please?"

"...Maybe later."

"Phooey." Yang snapped her fingers, letting go of the Faunus and stepping back. "Have it your way then, I'm _leaving_."

Blake did not look up from her reclaimed book, voice unfocused as she gave compulsory replies. "Okay, I'll find you later."

Yang slowly stomped off. "Leaving!"

"Good."

"Forever!"

"Bye."

"Sloooowly going away." She called over her shoulder. "Someone could stop me at any time!"

No response.

Yang picked up her pace with an amused grumble at the lack of attention, heading towards some unknown destination and leaving Blake to her own devices, losing herself among the written words.

* * *

Blake gave a satisfied sigh as she took her newly bagged books and left the long line by the registers. After a couple hours of searching, she had found the books she wanted and gathered a few new selections to add to her growing collection of novels and series back home. With her shopping done, it was time to find Yang and head home, maybe even treat her for being on her best behavior by leaving her be and not breaking anything in her absence.

Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. Here, there, everywhere, no matter which section Blake checked, the energetic woman was nowhere to be found. There was only one section left to check, but Blake doubted that she would find her there.

A loud '_Bang'_ sounded from the other end of the store, startling Blake from her thoughts and whipping her head in the direction of the noise. She may have spoken to soon about Yang not breaking anything. From her acute knowledge of the store's layout, she surmised that the ruckus was coming from the children's section, the section she had not yet checked. Blake mentally shrugged, deciding that there would be no harm in being absolutely sure that Yang was not there, although. From the volume of that noise and the possible resulting consequences of her ruining something expensive, she hoped she was not.

Upon arriving at the back, Blake was surprised to find that a small crowd of parents had gathered, their children in a small group on the floor and paying rapt attention to someone speaking. A voice drifted into her ear as she watched and listened, the volume of the speaker rising and falling with excitement and suspense. It seemed that the kids were being told a story, and from the looks of it, whomever was telling it was very good, the crowd laughing at something or other as they watched what Blake could not see.

Soon enough, she spotted a small opening in the crowd that would allow her access to the rest of the children's section, if she could slip through, she should be able to see what all the commotion was.

What she found was astounding to say the least.

After squeezing her way through the parents, she found herself looking at Yang standing with one foot on a toppled bench, most likely the source of the noise she had heard earlier, and reading with exuberance from a book of fairy tales. If the wide smile on her face was anything to go by, than it would seem her girlfriend was having the time of her life.

Not noticing or possibly not actively acknowledging her new audience member, Yang continued to spin her story, "And so the two little pigs ran as fast as they could to get away, running to their eldest brother's brick house for safety! But," Yang paused for dramatic effect, looking up from the page to see the children lean toward her in anticipation. "The big, bad wolf followed them there too!"

The kids gasped. "The big, bad wolf was not one to give up, so he approached the house of the third pig and knocked on his door." Yang lowered her voice as deeply as she could, using the hand that was not holding her book to rap on an imaginary door. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in!"

The children laughed as she then adopted a higher, whinier voice by pinching her nose shut. "Not by the hairs of our chinny chin chins!" Her tone then normalized as she read the narration, holding a hand out toward her small audience as she read. "The wolf didn't like that, oh no! So he huffed, and he puffed," She took in giant breaths, releasing it all in one gust of wind. "And he tried to blow down the big brick house like he did with the other two. But the bricks were too heavy and could not be blown away!"

Cheers echoed at that. "That's right! He couldn't get to the little piggies by blowing down the house! He howled in defeat, sad that he couldn't eat the little piggies. Hey kids, why don't you show me your best howls?" Yang flashed a smile at her enthusiastic listeners. "On the count of three, give me your best wolf howl! Ready? One, two, three, go!"

A loud cacophony of children shouting 'Aroo!" filled the store, the observing parents chuckling at the sight of the kids acting like the silly children they were.

Yang comically jumped in fright on her small stage, wildly looking around the room. "Whoa, is there a real wolf in here?"

Everyone laughed at the blonde's antics before she continued. "But the wolf still didn't give up! Do you know what he did next?"

Loud exclamations answered back, "What?"

"He climbed in through the chimney!" Blake almost chuckled herself at the gasps and the little children covering their mouths and ears in surprise. "Right through the chimney on their little roof! Down he went, right into their fireplace, planning on taking the piggies by surprise!"

An 'Ooo' resounded through the store. Blake only shook her head, watching as Yang nodded at the reactions she incited.

"But!" She held up a finger, all eyes drawn to it. "The three little pigs weren't gonna sit around like free bacon strips. No, they knew what the wolf was planning, and put a large pot of water over the fire. When the wolf came down, he fell right into the hot stuff! The little piggies cooked 'em right up and lived a peaceful, happily ever after."

The gathered audience clapped with fervor at the ending, Yang executing a small bow to finish off her tale. When she straightened, looking out over her small assembly with a million dollar smile, she noticed Blake applauding her too. The normally reserved woman waving to her with an amused smile as the noise died down. Before Yang could so much as take a step in her direction, she was assaulted by her new fans.

Blake only laughed as she watched the out of control little gremlins known as the next generation overwhelm her girlfriend, Yang unable to hold herself up and hitting the ground hard on her backside. "Whoa! Okay, you guys I get it, I get it! Ya'll wanna hear another story, huh?"

"Yeah!" They cheered.

"Well, I can't."

"Aaww…." The atmosphere became noticeably less happy as the children slumped their shoulders, one boy even sniffing.

Yang froze at the one-eighty turn in their mood, clearly not expecting it. "Uh… But I'll be back next week?"

"Yay!" The kids sprang back to life in the blink of an eye. They then shouted quick goodbyes as they were each called by their respective parents, some giving Yang a brief hug before running off.

When the last one left, Blake finally approached Yang, the downed woman's eyes wide as she shook her head, amazed by the theatrics she had bore witness to and endured. "Where the hell did kids learn to act like that? Since _when_ did kids even _know_ how to act like that?"

Blake scoffed as she slipped her arm in Yang's and helped her up, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Like you're one to talk. You act like that all the time."

"I'm not a kid though!" She pressed a hand over her heart as she protested, looking at Blake as though greatly offended..

"Yes, you are. Only taller." Blake kept her arm where it was, resting her hand on Yang's forearm and tightening her hold as she led them out of the children's area with a teasing grin.

"If I'm a kid, and you're dating a kid, what does that make you?" Blake's smile became an unamused frown. Only Yang would think of such a thing.

They walked slowly back down the aisles they browsed beforehand, not in any rush. "Let's not go there."

Yang huffed, but did not argue. Even she did not know where she was going with that line. "As Miss Snarky commands. Are you all done with your shopping?"

Blake nodded, shaking the bag of purchased books hooked on her other arm. "Yes, I'm finished now." She glanced over to her companion, her next question tinged with her curiosity. "So what was that back there? How were you dragged into reading to children?"

"I volunteered!" Yang shot a thumbs up and a wink her way. "The employee who was supposed to read for the kiddy corner today was out sick, and Glynda asked if I wanted to do it!"

A disbelieving amber stare was her response. "Miss Goodwitch asked you to read for story time?"

"Well… Maybe she didn't _ask_ _me_ per say." Yang gave a nervous laugh, her other hand reaching back to rub the back of her golden curls. "There may have been a sad kid who was looking forward to it… And I may of felt kinda bad that the kid didn't get a story… And _I _may of asked Glynda if I could read the story… Yeah, it went something like that."

Blake tilted her head in thought. "And you'll be back next week?"

Yang gave a noncommittal shrug, keeping her words nonchalant as she tried to mask her enthusiasm. "Eh, we'll see. I mean, if you're coming back next week, and I just so happen to be with you, I might as well read to them again, right?"

"Of course." Blake held her other hand to her mouth to stifle her chuckle and hide her toothy smile. In her eyes, it was more of a performance or a comedy routine than a run of the mill reading circle, but who was she to determine what constituted entertainment in the eyes of a child?

As they reached the front entrance, Blake quickly leaned over on her tip-toes to give Yang a kiss on the cheek. "You are definitely too sweet sometimes. What you did was very kind of you, Yang."

Color - rarely seen color - accentuated a goofy smile as Yang sighed in bliss, satisfied with her unexpected reward. "Thanks."

"And, since you were so good and waited for me," Blake continued, her own smile becoming a coy grin. "We can go that toy shop you wanted to go to."

"Really?" Yang gasped, her arm in Blake's hold tightening and pulling as she picked up their pace. "Then let's go! When we're done, we can go out to dinner, my treat!"

"Isn't it always your treat?" Blake shook her head as she was pulled along.

Her ears gave an instinctual flick in surprise at the ominous chuckles coming from the mischievous blonde. "Trust me, when you see what kind of toys I mean, you'll be trying to make me pay one way or the other."

* * *

A/N: I always admired the kind of people who could make a story come alive. The mentioned books, except the synopsis of the one I made up, are very real and I did not intend to plagiarize them. Not like I'm making any money from this. Mentioned works:

_Andromeda's Fall_ by William C. Dietz (A science fiction/military novel)

_John Dies At The End_ by David Wong (A seriously crazy story. Discretion is advised if you ever think of reading this.)

_The Three Little Pigs_ by Margot Zemach (Although it is one of the children's adaptations with a happier ending. The original is that the wolf devours them all.)


	6. Sick

_Summary: Blake doesn't happen to be feeling too well._

* * *

Blake murmured irritably as her eyes slowly blinked, her body waking up without her. The room was dark, barely lit from the sun that had yet to rise over the horizon, but her internal alarm told her that it was morning and, sadly, time to get up.

She began to lift her head, only to wince from the sudden pounding in the side of her skull as she attempted to sit upright. Situated against the headboard, one eye closed in pain and a hand held to the side of her head, she attempted to control her shivers as the cold winter air hit her like a ton of bricks, cooling off the sweat that had accumulated overnight. Oddly enough, she had noticed she felt unnaturally warm under the bed sheets and the typically cold intolerant woman thought it strange that the frigid chill felt unusually good.

She called to the person beside her, her voice sounding slightly hoarse and muffled, as though a cloth had been stuffed into all four of her ear canals to create an unpleasant pressure that made it incredibly difficult to hear.

"Yang, it's time to get up."

"Mmmrgh…" Unintelligible grumbles were all she got. Blake frowned, the grumbles were barely audible too, but she shook it off as nothing.

"I'll pour cold water on you if you don't."

"Nnn…" This time, the figure under the sheets rolled around to face her, curling into Blake's side as they buried their head in the sheets. "Five more minutes…"

Blake swiveled her tired, burning eyes to read their bedside clock on the nightstand to her right, only to see that the glaring glow of the clock face read half past six. They had a little time before classes began. "Five minutes, that is all you get."

"Yaay…" Her bed mate's cheer petered out, her body still situated comfortably against the other.

Blake sighed, a small smile tugging upon her lips. Yet she could not go through with the action, her aching facial muscles disobeying her with protests that it was too early as they fought to stay down. Today was already looking to be a drag.

Slowly, she extracted herself from the covers, sitting on the edge of the bed with head still in hand. Her stomach began to roil ominously and her legs began to groan with protests that matched the rest of her body as she tried to stand. A little wobbly at first, but she managed to hold herself up.

_Okay._ Blake thought, gathering her resolve. _So it's a little hard to stand, nothing too big. Just because I don't feel like I'm at a hundred percent doesn't mean I'm…_

She shook her head before she gave herself the chance to finish. It proved to be a terrible mistake as she almost lost her balance at the sudden sense of vertigo, the room whirling around in front of her and her body dangerously close to collapsing back on the bed.

Blake cleared her throat, giving herself a minute to stand and regain her strength and bearings. It was impossible to be anything other than healthy; she had not caught anything in years and it sure was not going to happen today. With a shaky breath, she tried taking a step. Her foot landed solidly on the carpeted floor, her stance holding firm. So far so good.

_See?_ Blake convinced herself while she exited the bedroom. _Nothing to worry about. I'll just take a vitamin C, drink some water, and I'll be right as rain. I just… need to… why aren't I moving? Where'd this wall come from…?_

Without realizing it, Blake had hit the door frame with her side, her body deciding on its own that that was the last straw. She barely felt or heard the _thump_ of her shoulder hitting the wall as she tipped sideways, her world capsizing with it, or acknowledge the voice shouting to her from somewhere behind, far off in the distance. Or maybe they were close by, she could not tell.

She could not feel as she slid down the wall and landed on her backside. She could only watch as her world became oddly smaller as she collapsed, her hazy thoughts briefly wondering if she was shrinking or if the ceiling had decided to pursue a career as a pinwheel, the spinning rafters making her feel ill.

Her flattened ears were starting to feel so stiff and clogged that she only heard a distant buzzing, like the outside sounds were being filtered through a filmy substance before she heard them as someone spoke to her. At least, she thought someone was calling to her. The constant fizzing static alerted her to them but the constant pressure in her ears made it hard to concentrate on any singular noise.

As her eyelids grew heavier, she conceded to closing her eyes for just for a moment to answer the call she _could_ hear, the call of sleep. A precursory nap before she had to get up sounded like just what she needed, her fatigued body cheering as it shut down of its own volition.

Whoever it was, they could wait five minutes. Right?

* * *

Sleep. That was all she wanted. Such a simple thing should be so easy to obtain, but Yang learned that being an 'adult' warranted less and less time to devote to her favorite hobby. Unfortunately, Wednesday's demanded that she dredge herself up from her sweet, nightly escapades of dreamy wonder and face the waking world, no matter how much she protested.

She groaned at the sound of a far away echo calling to her to get up. "Mmmrgh…"

The voice called again, clearer this time. "I'll pour cold water on you if you don't."

Crap. Yang knew she would do it to. Why did she have to fall for such a wicked temptress?

"Nnn…" Yang grumbled again, this time rolling to face her tormentor and bury her face in their side. Nice and cozy. "Five more minutes..."

There was a small pause before she got her answer, and Yang counted her lucky stars that the sheets covered her smile. If Blake saw, she had little doubt that her bed buddy would not hesitate to flip the mattress over and she along with it. "Five minutes, that is all you get."

"Yaay…" She celebrated her victory by continuing to keep her eyelids shut as the warm body beside her left. It seemed Blake was intent on starting the day now instead of joining her and facing the morning later. Oh well, her loss.

She tugged her cocoon tighter around her, burrowing into the warm nest she had constructed as she tried to lose herself back within the last traces of her crumbling dream. It was such a nice one too. A strange dream where she was in a room of bubble wrap and when the bubbles popped a piano played...

Her eyes snapped open in alarm at the loud _thump_ from the bedroom door. The sheets were flung back as she sat up, alert and watchful for any potential threats that somehow had entered their home and gone by unnoticed until they slipped up and hit something in the still dark hours of early dawn. She called out to Blake, making sure she was alright as she leaped out of bed.

"Blake? What was that sound?"

She heard no response other than another _thump_ as something hit the wall again, this time just outside the bedroom, followed by a series of noises that told her something had hit the ground.

Dread, like a heavy rock in her stomach, had her running as she rushed to the bedroom door, immediately finding her girlfriend lying next to the wall. Her chest heaved as though she had run a marathon as she fought for breath, her eyes working in vain to stay open.

"Blake?!" Yang bent down on one knee, gathering the downed woman in her arms and holding her up. "What's wrong? Hey! Hey, wake up!"

Blake groaned in her hold, eyes now squeezed shut and ears laid flat against her skull as she tried to shut out the world around her, instinctively curling into the source of warmth that was Yang as she shivered.

She put the back of her hand against Blake's forehead as she began to cough in her near unconscious state, Yang wincing in sympathy at the heat that emanated from her and confirmed her theory. Blake was sick. "Geez Blake, you're burning up…"

Quickly making a decision, she lifted Blake up and carried her back to bed, gently easing her back under the sheets and tucking her in. "There we go. Snug as a bug in a rug."

She seemed unconscious at first, but Yang soon learned she was not. Blake did not seem to like the blankets and the fevered woman began fighting against them as she whimpered. "No, it's too hot…"

Yang sighed at the pitiful display. She had never seen Blake sick before, but it seemed she was going to be the difficult type.

"I'm sorry, but you need to keep the blankets on." Yang told her, voice gentle as she tried to gain control of the sheets.

In her momentary exposure to the cold air, Blake shivered again, violently. She clutched her arms in a tight hug and closed in on herself, allowing Yang control of the sheets around her. "Too cold…"

"Yeah, I know." She swiftly covered Blake back up, tucking the blankets underneath her in a tight encasement to decrease her mobility. "Try not to move so much and get some rest."

"Nnnrgh…" Blake whimpered as she squirmed in the blankets, already overheating.

"Okay… Need a game plan…" Yang spoke aloud as she gazed down at Blake, trying to organize her thoughts and decide on the best course of action.

She decided that first things first, she had to call Blake's work and tell her she could not make it. School was not such a big deal. A few days away would be nothing for either of them, so that was not a problem. Some supplies would be good, maybe some medicine if she could find the right stuff. Then, attend to her. There was no way she was going to leave her side, classes be damned.

Yang bent down toward Blake, brushing away the stray bangs that fell into her clenched eyes, the Faunus slowly starting to settle down, her ears and eyes slowly loosening up, as she slipped back into sleep. Hopefully, she would be alright for a few minutes unattended.

With a nod, Yang acted, leaving the room and heading downstairs to the kitchen. As she scurried about, thinking of what she needed, she snatched her cell phone off the kitchen counter. She headed over to the refrigerator, scrolling through her contacts as she absently raided the frosty container for something Blake could eat. Her thoughts buzzing a mile a minute.

"Here we are, Vale Library." She never had to call Blake's work before, but her girlfriend had insisted that she put the number in her phone. Just in case. As for her search for something Blake might be able to stomach, assuming the worst and that she might reject most foods, she eventually found some canned soups in a cabinet and went about heating it up before dialing the number. It only took two rings before someone picked up on the other line.

"Vale City Library. My name is Sheryl, how can I assist you today?"

"Yeah, hi." Yang awkwardly started. She fumbled with her words as she rummaged through their medicine cabinet, a place she, regretfully, never checked and left her with no idea on what was where. "Uh… I'm calling on behalf of Blake Belladonna?"

"Blake?" The voice inquired with curiosity, recognizing the name. "Who is this?"

She placed a bottle of melatonin on a tray she scoured from a storage drawer, double checking the cabinet for anything that caught her eye and told her it was useful. "I'm Yang. Yang Xiao Long. I don't know if she's mentioned me...?"

"Oh, yes! I believe she has you listed under her emergency contacts if anything happens on the job. What can I do for you today, Miss Xiao Long?"

"..."

"Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang shook herself out of her stupor. Taken aback as she was at the revelation, she could not afford to lose focus. "Ah, yes, um… You're one of Blake's co-workers, right?"

"I am."

The microwave dinged behind her as she remembered to secure a thermometer. "Well, could you please tell the boss man or whoever she needs to tell that she won't be coming in to work today? Possibly the rest of week?"

"And what would be the reason for her leave of absence?"

"She's got a cold, maybe the flu."

"Oh no, that's dreadful!"

"Yeah, but she'll be fine. She's a trooper."

"No doubt about that." Static crackled in her ear at the other woman's laugh as she took to making small talk. "I suspected she was coming down with something for a few days now, but she just waved me off and tried to put on a tough act. I asked her if she wanted to go home early yesterday, but the stubborn girl simply didn't listen!"

"Uh huh." Yang's face scrunched into a frown. "She did, did she?"

"Yes, but that dearie is so work oriented and dedicated to earn money for schooling that I didn't have the heart to tell her to leave."

Yang grit her teeth, contemplating who better deserved her anger. Blake, who knew and did not tell her she was falling ill or do anything to prevent herself from falling so far, or Sheryl, the dingbat who noticed and passively stood by and watched.

She shook her head again as she snapped out of it, Sheryl continuing to parrot into the phone. "Anywho! Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell 'boss man' right away! Thank you for letting me know Miss Xiao Long. I'll take care of it. Tell Blake I hope she gets well soon!"

"Heh, yeah, thank you."

"Anytime! A friend of Blake's is a friend of mine, so you just help the little sweetheart to get better."

"Will do."

"Okay, have a nice day now!"

"You too Sheryl, goodbye."

She shut the phone off before returning it to its place on the counter and taking a deep, calming breath. Now was not the time to be angry. Now was time to be as loving and caring as she could be. Nurse Yang was on the job.

With one less thing to worry about, she resigned herself to today's fate and prepared the last of her gathered items before she returned to her sick love's side. She padded back upstairs with a hot bowl of soup, an empty bowl, a glass of cool water, a thermometer, and some sleeping pills assembled on the tray, a wet washcloth slung over her shoulder.

She did not bother with discretion upon entering the bedroom. Blake was down for the count, the Faunus slumbering without a care. She helplessly watched as Blake tossed and turned in her sleep, ears occasionally twitching in discomfort and disgruntled moans escaping her. Yang could not stay angry at her like that.

She placed everything on Blake's nightstand and made sure she had everything she wanted before picking up the washcloth, placing the cool material to the sleeping woman's forehead. A sigh of content escaped Blake at the contact, relaxing her a little more.

Yang observed Blake as she slept, the black beauty giving promiscuous mews that escaped from her mouth every now and again as her body fought the virus inside. Like she told Blake's co-worker, she knew that Blake was a trooper and believed it would not be even two or three days before she was back on her feet trying to convince Yang that she was fine. Of course, Yang still would have none of that.

The thermometer revealed her temperature to be 103 degrees Fahrenheit, far above normal. She put it back on the tray with a hum of indifference. Blake was a little warmer than she anticipated, but what more could she do other than have her rest?

"Sick. You knew you were getting sick and you didn't bother to tell me." She sighed, checking Blake's forehead towel to make sure it was still cool enough with a nostalgic smile. "What am I gonna do with you? You can't shoulder this on your own, kitten." The sheets dipped as she nestled her chin on the bed, head beside her love as she watched the suffering woman sleep. "You shoulda told me…"

Deciding she had let Beauty sleep enough, Yang gently shook Blake by the shoulder, calling to her softly. "Blake. You need to wake up."

Blake scrunched her brow and blindly pushed her hand away, protesting with incomprehensible mutters. "Five more minutes…"

"No, now."

"Eerrgh…" Blake moaned again at the insistence of the other speaker, turning away from her. "I don't wanna."

"Too bad." Yang said with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, standing tall with a hand on her hip. "You need to eat something, a sheet is not acceptable."

Blake burrowed her face deeper into the sheets, her head feeling as though it were going to split open at any second with its incessant pounding. "No."

"Come on Blake, it won't take long. Then you can go back to sleep."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

Yang sighed, growing tired of having a debate with someone whose mental capacity was currently at the equivalency of a child. "Please?"

Blake froze at the vulnerability of the tone. Slowly, she turned back over and opened her eyes the tiniest sliver, squinting dubiously up at the person beside her bed. "Do I have to?"

"Please?" She asked again.

Miraculously, Blake complied and sat up with a wince, ears continuing to lay flat against her throbbing head. "Fine…"

"Thank you." Yang beamed as she handed Blake the still slightly warm soup she made, complete with a spoon. "Try to eat as much as you can." She picked up the glass and sleeping pills with a grin. "Then take these and you'll be better in no time."

"Urrgh…" Blake looked down at the soup in disgust, the spoon dangling comically from her mouth as she scrunched her face. "Thith tath awfuhl."

Yang smiled at Blake's spoon impeded speech "Yeah, I don't really care. Eat up."

A few more spoonfuls and a handful of childish grumbles later, and Blake had managed to swallow down close to half of the soup, Yang accepting at least that much and applauding her with a cheer.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?

"I don't know." Blake held a hand to her mouth. "I think we'll be seeing something neither of us want to in a second."

"Whoa, okay." She pushed Blake down gently with a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to lay down. Her other hand held the empty bowl, Yang happy she had brought it along for insurance. "Take deep breaths and let it pass."

Nestled back among the pillows, Blake closed her eyes and practiced breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, a typical relaxation technique, in the hope that the nausea would pass. Luckily, her stomach soon calmed, and she opened her eyes with a tight grin.

"I think I'm fine now. False alarm."

Yang breathed out in relief, setting the bowl down. "Man, the first time I see you sick and you become a real hot mess, making me get all worried and stuff. What on earth am I gonna do with you?"

"Sorry." Blake chuckled weakly, cautiously sitting up and accepting the glass of water and pills Yang handed to her next. She looked down at the small capsules in her palm with skepticism. "I need to know what potential poison you're giving me before I take these."

"They're sleeping pills! I checked the label on the container and everything!"

"You sure you read it right?"

"I'm sure!" Yang crossed her arms and puffed out a cheek. "You seem pretty damn sassy for a sick girl, are you sure you're as sick as you say?"

"I think so." Blake looked around in confusion as she blinked. "'Cause I don't remember how I got back here. I think I remember getting up…? What happened after that?"

"Uh…" Yang flicked her gaze to the side before looking back to curious golden eyes. "Don't worry about it! Everything's fine and taken care of for today, so just take the pills and go back to sleep, yeah?

Blake was beginning to feel too tired to argue, and took them without further complaint. After returning the glass to her girlfriend, she gave a gentle smile, eyes drowsily closing. "Thank you Yang." She gave a content sigh as she laid herself back down and allowed herself to relax, eyes falling shut. "I love you. You know that don't you?"

Blake was blind to the tender smile given in return, but she felt the fingers that brushed her bangs back and the soft lips that grazed her forehead as Yang returned the affection. "I love you, too. Now go to sleep and get better for me, okay?"

"Okay." Blake's breaths grew softer and slower as she slipped away again, slumbering far more peacefully than she had before.

Yang shook her head with a chuckle. "What am I gonna do with you, Blake? What am I gonna do with you..."


	7. University Days

A/N: Part one of two for a small, Valentine special. Also, I'm sorry I'm such a sap.

_Summary: It's been a long day, and there's still so much to do. Luckily, Blake is there to make it better._

* * *

" - and so as seen here by the derivative and the information we gathered from our data, we can determine that…"

_Scritch scritch scratch_

" - so we then can utilize this formula here from page 235. Take note, for it will be on the first test!"

_Scritch scritch_

"That will be it for today's lecture, I will see you all next Monday!"

Yang let loose a dramatic sigh as she put down her pencil and relaxed her note taking hand right as the professor announced their torture was over, her limb slightly sore from the notes she had hurriedly jotted down throughout the class. She was relieved that her three hour long economics lecture was finally finished, although, she almost began to cry as she remembered she had one more class to attend before she was done for the day. The weekend was within her grasp, but even then she had assignments to complete, errands to run, work to go to...

_It's gonna be a long semester._ Yang mused, taking out her phone to check the time. A little after two, plenty of time to go fetch something to eat before she had to head over to her last lecture at four.

A voice beside her caught her attention. "Busy today, Yang?"

She glanced to her right, confirming that it was her good friend, Pyrrha Nikos. "Kinda. I got about two hours before my next class. Just enough time to grab a late lunch. Lucky me!" She rolled her eyes, sounding less than pleased.

The tall redhead stood up, an amused smile on her face. "Well, would you mind if I accompany you? I'm feeling rather peckish myself."

She perked up at that. "Sure!" The more the merrier, she always said. "There's this Greek place that has some pretty good wraps just down the street a ways that we can walk to. You game?"

Pyrrha playfully waved her arm toward the door in a grand, sweeping gesture, already gathered and ready to go. "Lead the way."

It did not take long before the duo left the classroom. Strolling through the sunny outdoor campus of their college, they chatted amicably, laughing and complaining about college all along the way. Soon enough, they found themselves outside their destination - a neat, small restaurant simply titled _Diana's_.

It was a slow day, and after lunch hours, so they managed to order quickly, nab their food wraps, and sit down at a window booth with a pleasant view of the street. The two college girls talked intermittently as they ate, Yang occasionally trying to make her friend snort on her food due to her laughter at her lame jokes and stories. Eventually,one particular subject arose, as it was wont to do during that time of the year.

"- and it was glowing! It was so weird." Yang finished her retelling of an adventure from last week, something involving a fish and some markers.

"Interesting. Was the fish alright?"

"Yeah, the little guy didn't die. Tough as scales!"

"Who's fish was it anyways?"

"Uh… I don't suppose you would keep this little story between us? And never tell Ruby I touched her pet fish?"

Pyrrha shook her head as she took a small bite from her food, chuckling.

"Oh come on! Its still alive!"

"That's not the point, Yang."

"Oh whatever." Yang brushed off the topic. An idea soon sprung to mind, and she could not stop a sly smile from forming. Pyrrha began to eye her wearily upon spotting it.

"So, Pyrrha, Valentine's Day is coming up in a few weeks, ya know? Got anything special planned? Planning anything _fun_ with Jaune? Like…" Yang let the sentence hang and winked at her companion, letting Pyrrha, who was currently trying not to avert her flustered gaze, use her imagination to fill in the rest..

"I do not know what you mean." Pyrrha insisted, flush indicating otherwise. "But Jaune and I will not be celebrating Valentine's Day."

"Oh yeah?" Her curiosity piqued. "How come?"

"We both think it rather flippant to romanticize one particular day of the year for one's love. It would be wiser to treat your significant other like they matter and are special to you every day."

"Oh. Uh... I guess you're right." Yang took a bite out of her food, stare resting elsewhere.

One corner of Pyrrha's mouth turned up a fraction of an inch in a minuscule smirk. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. I have no qualms over others doing what they will on Valentine's, since, well…."

"What?"

"We may be paying patron to the holiday by going out anyway." Pyrrha shrugged, smile becoming sheepish. Before Yang could retort on the irony, she quickly asked, "What about you and Blake? How is she by the way?"

"She's good. Real good." Yang looked down toward the table, fingers idly playing with the thin paper covering her half eaten wrap. "Um… I haven't really planned anything for her yet. I have a few ideas, but I dunno how what she wants… For all I know, she doesn't even wanna celebrate Valentine's..."

"You don't know until you try."

"Yeah, but it's our first Valentine's together, and then we'll have been together for a year about a week after that… And on top of all that, I still have these assignments to get done!" She growled into her food as she angrily bit down. "Life sucks.

"A packed schedule, then?" Pyrrha questioned, picking up her water nearby and taking a sip.

She waved a hand in the air over her head, not able to communicate what an understatement that was. "Yeah, kinda."

"I'm sure you will both be just fine. As long as you stay positive!" Pyrrha's supporting grin turned devious as she thought of something else. "But a word of advice? Try to do something that does _not_ involve clubs. That last one we all went to on a outing was not exactly my version of nightly entertainment."

"Oh my god, you too? You sound _just like_ _her!_" Yang complained, dropping her food back on her tray and burying her face in the palms of her hands. "I swear it was an accident! The name of that place was very misleading! How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"Until it stops being funny."

Basically never, Yang groused. She pointed a finger at the teasing redhead. "I hate you."

"No you don't." Pyrrha's smirk never faded as she took one last of her waiting wrap.

"Mmrgh..." She grumbled with a pout, returning her attention back to her own food.

Pyrrha stretched in her seat, all finished with her meal, and began to wait for Yang to finish as well like a good friend would, until she took a look at her phone. "Hey, didn't you say that your next class began at four?"

Yang raised a curious eyebrow, stopping mid-chew to stare at her. "Yeah, why?"

"It is almost three forty-five now."

Strangled chokes led to violent coughs as Yang rushed to swallow her food. "Are you serious?!" She began to inhale her food as she stood up, turning back to the table to collect her book bag before rushing to the rubbish receptacle to throw away her trash. Pyrrha watched, fascinated and amazed, the speed with which Yang sped out the door, barely catching the goodbyes she shouted over her shoulder. "Bye Pyrrha, thanks for the company, I'll see ya later!"

She gave a supporting wave and smile as she took in the scene of her friend running down the street, blonde hair flying behind her as she sprinted toward the university in the distance. She knew there was no way Yang was going to make it on time, but wished her the best just the same.

* * *

Yang kicked her front door closed with a sigh, dropping her heavy bag off to the side of the door to deal with later. As happy as she was to be home, the weekend having arrived, she felt utterly drained.

She had, in fact, not made it to her last class on time, and had then been severely reprimanded and given a lecture of what it meant to be a university student. Redundant, but given nonetheless due to her professor being far too up tight. Each of her muscles were asking her to loosen up from the stiff posture she had adopted while sitting during her lecture and unnecessary after-lecture lecture, her brain almost shutting off against her will as it overheated.

She ambled into the kitchen, looking around for any signs of life. It seemed, if the quiet atmosphere and lack of shouted greetings was any indication, that Ruby was not home, leaving her with the house to herself. After quickly grabbing a cold water from the refrigerator, she entered the adjacent living room, popping the cap off her bottle and taking a swig as she flopped down onto her squishy couch, her body almost cheering in relief at the welcoming cushioned surface. It was good to be home.

"Hey Yang."

She almost spat her water in shock at the sudden voice, spinning around in her seat, only to find a familiar grinning face.

"Wha- Blake?"

"That's me." The feline bent down and crossed her arms on the couch backing, slightly smug at having caught Yang off guard for once.

"Geez, how many times are you gonna try and give me a heart attack? Isn't there a better hobby?"

"Mmm... nah. None are quite as fun."

She never should have given her the spare key. "How long have you been here?"

Blake shrugged. "An hour?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You've been sneaking around our house for an hour?"

"No." The couch dipped as Blake took a seat beside her. "I've been keeping myself busy in your house for an hour."

"Keeping yourself busy?" She chuckled. "What were you doing? Nothing naughty I hope."

Her laughs grew louder as Blake smacked her arm.

"I won't find anything misplaced or 'used' in my room will I?"

"Shut up!" Cat ears laid flat on Blake's head, her face beginning to flush.

"Oh my god, will I?"

"No!" She moved down to the other end of the sofa, away from her teasing girlfriend.

"Aw, kitten, I was only playing!" She opened her arms and tried to fight down the laughs and stifle the rising smile on her face. "Come back! I'll be good!"

"Hmph." Blake crossed her arms and turned away, opting for the silent treatment.

Yang knew it would not last long. "Fine, have it your way."

A few more giggles later, she began to relax into the furniture again with a long exhale, her eyes closed and head resting on the back. It felt so good to laugh after a long day, and Blake being with her was all she could ever ask for, even if she was a little irritated with her. She knew Blake loved her and would forgive her anyway.

Low, throaty thrums soon caught her attention. Looking back to the side, she watched, surprised, as Blake scooted closer again, her head reaching up and rubbing against the side of her face in an affectionate nuzzle. Before Yang could ask, Blake gently pushed her over and gestured for her to lay herself flat. Doing so, still confused, Blake crawled over and wiggled herself under Yang's arms, manually adjusting them to drape over her as she settled herself down on the blonde athlete.

"What are you doing?" Yang murmured with a soft smile, going with it and wrapping her arms around the purring black beauty in a tight squeeze.

"You looked like you could use a hug." Blake replied, occasionally butting the underside of her chin and tickling Yang's cheeks with her ears. "Was I wrong?"

"No, you were right." Yang buried her face into silky locks, the Faunus stilling her movements as she allowed herself to be cuddled. She never could understand how Blake knew what she needed, but she was not going to complain if it meant free hugs. "I could never say no to a hug from you anyway."

"Bad day?"

"Mmm…" Yang hummed as she ran her fingers through the liquid ebony that was Blake's hair. She did not feel like talking. Not about her day, not about school, not about anything. She just wanted to lie there, to do and be nothing. "I guess. More long than bad you could say."

Blake's left ear twitched in amusement. "If you like, we could take a nap. Would that help?"

"You know what?" She rolled over, putting both of them side to side, and helped Blake lift herself up so that they were eye to eye. Fatigued lilac meeting a warm, honey yellow. "I think it would. Thank you."

Anything else she needed to do, anything that required her attention or energy, it could all wait. The only subject of importance she could focus on was holding Blake closer. Yang gave her a long kiss, telling her everything her addled mind could not and did not know how to put into words at the moment, before she let her eyelids slide shut. "Night, Blake."

Blake got the message, a small grin on her face. She cupped Yang's cheek with a palm, slowly bringing herself down to press her lips to a nose for one last kiss before hugging the warm body in her arms tighter, her chin atop curly, golden locks. "Good night, Yang."


	8. Valentine

A/N: A small drabble - part two of two for the Valentine special.

_Summary: Yang is having a little trouble in the love department._

* * *

Blake was not one to celebrate Valentine's Day.

The holiday of sappy romance, of expressing more love for your partner than any other day, of constant lovey-dovey atmospheres and cheesy lines that one uttered to their significant other through a ritualistic process of gaining favor. As fun as the premise was to read in a work of fiction, Blake found out soon enough why it should stay that way.

"Blake!" The reason why bounded in now.

"Yes, Yang?" Blake muttered, a hand to her forehead and the other gripping the island counter in her apartment kitchen to steady her. "What is it this time?"

"I got these for you!" Yang exclaimed, startling Blake when she zealously shoved something toward her.

Blake sighed as she looked down. It was, unsurprisingly, another gift. In her hands sat a small square box, a card resting innocently on top with crudely printed hearts placed haphazardly around the front in what she could only assume was a symbol of 'love'.

Yang had been doing little gestures like this all week. As it was their first Valentine's Day as a couple, her girlfriend insisted on pulling out all the stops to make the entire week before some kind of build up to the day of. Almost every day of the past seven, there was a new gift that may or may not be accompanied with a card. Sometimes, Yang came over to her apartment to present her with breakfast in bed, or a flower arranged in a vase displayed on the island counter of her kitchen, both actions delivered with little notes of cheesy lines that felt taken straight out of a B-rated romance film. The over exposure to such sickly sweetness made Blake feel physically unwell, particularly in her stomach.

And these small favors were only the tip of the iceberg. Occasionally, Yang did numerous tasks and errands for Blake that she had not asked her to do, and while she was thankful, she thought it was a tad too much. Was Valentine's Day always this suffocating?

Then there was the constant question: _Will you be my Valentine?_

Blake had shocked Yang with her answer - of which there was none. The first time she had asked, Blake had given her a stony, disbelieving look, and walked away. Yang, not understanding what she had done wrong, was not deterred by this; if anything it only served to make her work harder than ever to win Blake over.

In retrospect, Blake's stubborn refusal to answer the simple question or elaborate on her action was most likely the cause of Yang's amped up attempts at romance, the confused blonde trying to seduce her with each and every sappy trick in the book. But the Faunus had her reasons, and was not so easily swayed.

Now, it was Valentine's Day, and Blake could see it was killing Yang inside that she had yet to give her a proper response to her proposal. Would she be her Valentine or not?

Blake stared down one last time at the new gift in her lap before gazing up at Yang. The taller woman bouncing on the balls of her feet and looking to her with expectation as she waved her hands in a gesture to open them.

She began with the gift, picking one end of the tied bow that covered the box to pull the ribbon open. As the wrapping came undone, she stared with little to no surprise at the miniature box of chocolates that now sat revealed on her lap. Another typical Valentine's thingamajig that she still did not understand, and she was not so sure anymore if she wanted to.

"I was wondering when you were going to do chocolate." Blake mused aloud, placing the box of confectioneries and the soon to be trashed wrapping on the island table.

"Open the card!"

With little enthusiasm, Blake tore the seal on the envelope backing to slide the card out and began to read the words. Her eyes growing wide and feline ears giving a flick at the printed text.

"So…?" Yang eyed the still woman, clasped fingers clenched together as she watched.

"That's a little vulgar, even for you." She slapped the card face down beside the chocolates with a huff.

In response, Yang sidled up to Blake, her eyebrows waggling in what Blake assumed was supposed to be a sexy manner as she leaned a hand against the counter beside them, eyes partially closed in a smoldering stare and accented with a smirk. "That a yes?"

Blake looked her dead in the eye, mouth pressed flat in a serious line, as she said, "Does the 'rigorous activity' alluded to in the card mean that you are finally going to show me how to play tennis? Because, if so, then yes."

It was almost comical how fast Yang's expression dropped, Blake trying her best to keep her cool and maintain her uncaring facade, lest she be found out.

Yang's voice was juvenile with the high pitch of her whine. "Are you _kidding_ me?" She fell to her knees, eyes toward the ceiling and hands raised upward as though the heavens held the explanation to her problem. "I give up. If you aren't gonna answer me, then fine. I _give up_."

Blake sighed. It would seem that she may have broken her girlfriend. She got up from her seat and bent down to join Yang at her level, wrapping her arms around her drama queen to hold her close in a snug embrace. "I don't know why you bothered."

Yang bit her bottom lip, not returning the hug. "I wanted Valentine's Day to be special, but if you don't wanna be mine, then why didn't you just say so?"

"You really are quite silly." Blake closed her eyes and grinned, squeezing just a little bit tighter. "It is a little difficult to answer a question such as that when the solution is plainly obvious."

"What are you talking about?" She asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

"What I'm saying is," Blake pulled back enough to face her, giving Yang an excellent view of the other's soft gaze and warm smile. "you did not have to go such lengths. You have been trying all week to 'sway' me, and for what purpose? To win me over?" She chuckled, wryly amused. "How can you ask me to be your Valentine when I am already your's?"

Blake laughed fully as the usually vivid violet eyes she had come to love lit up in glee, then flickered quickly into annoyance. Yang could be a little thick sometimes, but Blake mused that maybe that was one of the reasons as to why she loved her and genuinely enjoyed being around her. "Wait, so I didn't even have to ask? I did all that stuff and worried constantly for _nothing_?"

"Not nothing." She hummed as she tucked a stray, flaxen strand behind Yang's ear. "I appreciated all the little things you did for me. Not to mention it was fun watching you try to figure it out."

"Wow, thanks. I didn't know you had such a sadistic sense of humor." Yang deadpanned with an eye roll. "Why do I love you again?"

She squeaked at the sudden pull forward, Blake fisting her hands in her scarf and holding her close as she crashed their lips together. She relaxed as the Faunus forcefully invaded her, opening Yang's mouth with her tongue to run along her's and scraping their teeth against one another in mildly painful clacks. Not the most graceful kiss, but Yang was not one to complain, especially not when Blake was being the assertive one.

Moments later, when Blake finally let her go, Yang gasped for breath, the taste of honey fresh in mouth. While looking into the smirking, glowering eyes of her girlfriend, she tried to reign in her urge to stammer and attempt to regain control over the beats of her wild, oxygen starved heart.

"What was that you were saying?" Blake asked.

"I… I think I remember now." Yang amended.

"That's what I thought." Yang gulped as Blake leaned in, fingers lightly brushing her chin and ghosting over her cheek as she inched closer. "Now then, I believe I recall a certain card mentioning something about... 'plans' of the rigorous variety tonight?"


	9. Moving In

A/N: The one-shots have been surprisingly linear so far, but like I said earlier, don't be surprised if there's a step back in the past (Because there are some planned). Just a friendly reminder that I'll let you all know when that happens, okay? Okay.

Also, I'm still an sap that can't settle on a writing style, so sorry if this chapter seems different somehow.

_Summary: Yang asks Blake if she'll move in with her. It should be an easy decision, right?_

* * *

Blake hummed in content as she inhaled, taking in the sweet, sweet scent of her favorite blend before taking a sip, losing herself in her heaven in a cup. Across the booth, a blonde sat smirking at her exaggerated act.

"Enjoying the coffee I take it?"

"Mhm." Blake grunted in response, too lost in coffee to give a proper one.

"Unless you're making that turned on face 'cause you're thinking of me?"

Blake opened one eyelid, her lazyglare not fazing Yang. The blonde chose instead to seductively wink back. "Mmm."

"I don't hear a no!" Yang laughed.

"Mmm…"

Yang sighed at her failed attempts of conversation. With Blake acting as difficult as usual, Yang supposed she should return to her work. She fidgeted in her seat as she stared down at the papers on the table before her, the mathematical formulas she should be studying making little sense.

A quick glance up showed that Blake had yet to notice her pensive silence, eyes still closed as she huddled the cup of liquid bliss in her hands to soak in its menial warmth and hold it to her lips for an occasional sip. Yang broke into a smile at the delighted flicks of her unbound cat ears, happy that Blake had agreed to have them stand out proudly and not care what other people thought. She was beautiful the way she was and should not have to keep herself under wraps.

The Faunus was only at Ozpin's with her because she had asked her girlfriend for her delightful company and moral support as she studied - to which she was not doing a very good job. A bribe for treats had even been involved in getting her to come along, and even then Blake did not talk to her because she knew the blonde's game. She refused to serve as a distraction, although that did not stop Yang from trying.

For a while now, Yang had been dancing around a specific topic. She would be lying if she said this outing was not a guise to get Blake to come out with her so they could talk.

Yang took in a slow, deep breath, letting it out through her mouth. Might as well quit stalling and start talking - no time like the present after all.

"Hey, Blake?"

Blake hummed again in acknowledgement around the rim of her coffee cup, eyes still closed as she enjoyed the pleasant taste that engulfed her taste buds.

"I've been meaning to ask you something."

The lack of any of her usual humor was disconcerting to say the least. One eye opened to peek wearily at her date, finally choosing to use real words. "You can ask me anything, Yang."

She fiddled with her thumbs on the tabletop, gaze wandering over anything and everything that wasn't Blake, but getting straight to the point. "How would you feel about moving in with me?"

Blake tightly clutched her styrofoam cup before moving her arm to set it down, her movements sluggish. She was grateful that Yang had not popped that little question when she took another sip of the beverage.

She spoke slowly, enunciating her words. "Moving in… together?"

Truthfully, it was not a surprise, caught off guard as she was. Blake knew that this topic would be brought up one day, but she had hoped that it would not come for a while yet.

"Yeah. I was just thinking, ya know, we've known each other for more than a year, and dated for like, a little over a year or something? Who knows?" Yang chuckled nervously, babbling. "And we see each other almost every day anyway and I thought, maybe... you'd think about it?"

Had it been so long already? "Um… I… I'm not sure if..." Blake began, fumbling for words.

Yang waved her hands through the air in alarm, quickly dispersing any sense of urgency. Scaring Blake away was the last thing she wanted to do. "You don't have to give me an answer right now!" She shot her a forgiving smile, a look that wounded Blake more than she liked to admit. "Just... think about it and get back to me when you can, okay?"

Blake's mind did not want to work with her, her head only managing a nod and her mouth a simple, "Okay."

Yang hurriedly stuffed her papers back in her pack and got up from the booth, her goal accomplished, before leaning down beside Blake to give her a parting kiss on the cheek. She left without another word, leaving Blake alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Later that same day, Blake sat atop her couch, stretched out with one arm lazily swinging over the edge of a cushion and the other propping up a book against her thighs, legs strewn over the sofa backing.

Her ears and tail flicked sporadically as she stared at the open pages, not actually reading. Too caught up in her own thoughts to care that the tea she left on the coffee table had long since turned cold or that the ticking clock hung up on her wall announced that the midnight hour had passed some time ago.

Turmoil. That was one word to describe the mess that was on her mind.

Robotically, she set down her book and readjusted herself, back flat and legs now aligned with the rest of her body as she affixed her gaze to the ceiling.

She took a deep breath to gather herself and center her thoughts. Maybe if she asked herself questions and reflected on her responses, it would lead to the answer she sought. A rational approach could do no wrong.

She began with an easy one: [_Do you love Yang?]_

_What kind of question is that? I love her more than anyone._

[_Do you see yourself spending more time with her, even more than you do now?]_

The corners of her mouth twitched up at the thought. Yang had been right back at the coffee shop. Every passing day seemed to involve her in some way, shape, or form, and she did not see that as a bad thing if it continued. Yang was lively, her energy and laughter contagious, and her smile always brightened Blake's day.

_I would have no qualms with that. Try a harder one._

_[Is there a problem moving in with her?]_

_Not that I can see. It is only the next step in our relationship, and it would be an… interesting experience to say the least._

_[What are the pros and cons?]_

_Pros and cons? Hmm… I might have a little less privacy, but what hasn't she seen of me at this point? _Blake chuckled and shook her head at the ceiling._ She might also be more of a pain than she already is, but I suppose I can live with that. Concerning the real world, financially, it would be easier on us both. Emotionally, I think it would work wonders. Physically, well… concerning travel, it would be convenient, not to mention save us time and energy to meet up. _

She then smiled, imagining a scene in her minds eye. _It would even be nice to wake up next to her every morning and know that neither of us have to leave._

_[If there's no real problem, why are you hesitating?]_

_...I'm scared._

Blake paused, frowning at the self-admission. She placed a hand on the back of the sofa to hoist herself to a sitting position, clutching the backing with unease.

_[Why are you scared?]_

_Because… what if one day she decides she made a mistake? What if she does to me what everyone else has? What if she… leaves?_

Her friends, family, peers, role models, acquaintances, teachers, everyone: they had all left. It had happened in the past, and there was no reason it could not happen in the present. But it was different in Vale. Here, people were different. Like Yang. Yang would not leave her… right?

_[Are you going to let those doubts get in your way? Or will you hold on to what you have now and enjoy it while you can?]_

Let it get in the way of what though? Her happiness? Yes, she was happy now, but how long would that last? How long could she live a blissful life where every day was filled with wonderful memories with the one she loved?

_I don't know. Is that possible?_

_[Why wouldn't it be?]_

She curled into herself, hugging her knees to her chest so she could bury her face in them in an attempt to shield herself from her thoughts, but it was futile. _I don't know._

_[That is not an acceptable answer.]_

Blake shook her head, clenching her arms as she replied._ You don't think I know that?_

_[Then there shouldn't be a problem! This is not a book where the ending is written out for you, but the real world! If you want to be happy, then be happy!]_

"I know!" Blake snapped, lifting her head to meet nothing but air.

Nothing stirred and nothing moved in her apartment. Save for her kitten, Ombre, who had been sleeping away on his little bed and had been rudely awakened by her little outburst.

"Sorry, Ombre." She apologized, his matching yellow irises glowering with annoyance and boring right into her tired ones. "What do you think,," She asked, "would you move in with Yang if you had the chance?"

Ombre yawned in response, his tiny canines showing briefly. He gracefully leaped from his bed and padded over to her, joining her on the couch to headbutt her arm and purr into her side in a demand for attention.

His dark grey fur tickled her palm as she ran her fingers through it, a drained smile on her lips. "What am I doing, asking you? You don't care where you live, only if you get treats." The throaty rumble he emitted was all she needed to know she was right.

Stifling a yawn of her own, she decided it was time to catch some shuteye. If talking to a cat was any indicator, then it was definitely time for some sleep.

Quickly putting away her book and shutting off the lights, she retired to her bed, Ombre in her arms, with a dramatic flop - her sweet, sweet bed that would never ask her horrible, life changing questions. Beds were so much better than people.

She tried to settle in quickly. The sheets tucked up to her chin, pillow fluffed, and her kitten curled up to her side in her attempt to reconcile with the once furious feline for waking him, the little bundle of warmth more than a welcome presence.

But her cat was no replacement, he was not who she wanted with her.

It did not take long for her to start rolling around in her sheets due to restlessness, the soft darkness that so usually offered her solace distracting her little from the dull ache in her chest. Even Ombre got fed up with her and left her bed, but not before giving her a smack to the face with his tail. His own version of affection and to tell her to stop fretting, she supposed.

But she could not combat the urge to worry. Ears laid flat, she fiddled with the linen beneath her, her bedding lacking any pulse, emotion, or comfort. The lifeless material a sour reminder of her lack of human companionship.

'_It would even be nice to wake up next to her every morning and know that neither of us have to leave.'_

She rested on her side and reached over to light the reading lamp by her headboard, insomnia kicking in. As she straightened her posture, she glanced to the clock atop her nightstand, spotting the time to be almost three in the morning.

Her phone sat innocuously beside the clock, wonder making her reach for it and grasp it gently with subdued fingers, treating it like glass, to bring it close. She only had to press 'Send' once for the number she was looking for come to life upon her screen: Yang's number.

Maybe she was still up.

* * *

A quarter past three in the morning. It was getting late, and Yang was still not asleep.

But the glowing dials of the clock at her bedside were of little concern to Yang, so preoccupied was she in her inner turmoil. Yeah, she thought, that was a good word for it. Blake told her to exercise her vocabulary more, and here she was doing it. She'd be so proud.

In the dark, on her bed, she became engrossed in her thoughts. Blake had always been an enigmatic dame, so different from herself, and she supposed it had been one of the things about her that drew Yang to her in the first place.

Blake: mysterious, calm, cool, level-headed, and a strategically hidden cute side that was so easily flustered. A little something that made her smile when she realized only she saw it, and made her laugh when she figured she was the only one who could cause it.

Meanwhile, she was… well… Yang. Seen by others as a hot-head who dove into situations without thinking.

However, she found that was all she was doing as of late. She had been considering her future, what she would do, where she would go, how she would get there… and who she would have at her side to share it with. She wanted it to be Blake, but that hope was not coming to fruition.

Blake seemed intent on obstructing her own happiness, and there was not much Yang could do about that. She believed they could be happy together, because she knew Blake did that for her, but did Blake think the same?

Beside her pillow, a vibration yanked her out of her thoughts and made her jump in surprise. She rubbed at an eye, quickly recovering, as she irritably moved a hand up to grab the buzzing contraption, wincing in the bright light of the screen as she tried to read her new text. Who in their right mind texted at three in the morning…?

_Hey, it's Blake. Are you awake?_

The sheets covering her slid off as Yang bolted up, surprised. She took a moment to take a calming breath, her heart racing, before answering back.

_Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?_

_I was wondering if I could come over._

_Right now?_

_Yes. Unless now is a bad time?_

_No, of course not! How long will you be?_

_I'm here now._

Reading her latest text, Yang dashed from her bed, out her room, and downstairs to the front door. Barely pausing to turn the lights on, she unlocked and swung the door open with enough force that if she had not keep her hand on it to act as a counterbalance, it would have fitted a nice knob shaped hole in the wall.

Sure enough, standing there in her pajamas with an overcoat thrown on, arms crossed and breath puffing white steam in the air, was her girlfriend. The lapels of her coat and the tips of her ears twitching in the early morning breeze. A startled expression on her face upon seeing the rushed blonde at the door.

They stared at the other, frozen for a moment. Until Blake spoke first. "Um… surprise?"

Yang blinked, then laughed a relieved laugh. "Yeah, I'll say." She beckoned with an inviting wave. "Come on in. It must be freezing out there."

"A… a little." Blake relented, hurrying through the threshold of the entrance. Yang mercifully shut the door behind her, cutting off the outside chill from pervading the warmth of the house, to which Blake emitted a grateful purr. "Ooh, much better."

Yang leaned against the door, arms crossed and tone playful. "So kitten, what brings ya round these parts at…" She stole a glance at the phone still in her hand. "something past three in the morning?"

"Couldn't sleep." Came the reply, Blake turning back to face her. "Thought maybe you were still up."

"Yup, still up. Shocking, right?"

"Considering your love of sleep?" Blake hummed and took a step closer. "Yeah, it is."

Yang cut the jokes, detecting the resistance to humor. "So, jokes aside, why are you here?" A hand flew to her mouth once her words left. "Not that I'm not happy to see you! I am happy to see you! I'm always happy to see you! Well, not _always,_ always, but… no, I mean always! Just… besides insomnia, what… what brings you here… because I am happy that… I'm happy..." She ended with a slap to her face, covering her eyes as she groaned. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong."

Blake chuckled. "It's fine, I know what you meant." Wearily, she sighed and took one more step forward to close the distance between them, letting her eyes fall shut whilst leaning against Yang, a low rumble starting in Blake's chest while she let rest head on the taller woman's shoulder. "It was lonely by myself, so I decided to stop by."

Yang looked down at her fondly "Lonely, huh? You came to the right place. Here, no one is lonely and everyone gets a warm hug!" Shifting their position, she threw her arms around Blake, hugging her from the side and bringing her with her to lean against the door. "But what if I wasn't up? What would you have done then?"

Blake dug in her coat pocket, presenting a flash of metal. "You gave me a key, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but…" She reached a hand up, scratching at Blake's ears and watching in fascination as they leaned toward her while she spoke. "You would have just broke in?"

"Mmm… yeah."

"That's not creepy." Yang said with a chuckle.

Blake's harsh glare only fueled her laughter. "Shut up. You would have done the same."

"Yeah, but we're talking about you." Yang laughed harder when Blake bumped her with a shoulder and stepped away, ears flat. Yang continued to use the door as a support to hold her up while she laughed at Blake's actions, clutching her stomach in mirth.

But Blake was lightly laughing too. It felt good. As though the tension they had unknowingly built had broken and dissipated, leaving just the two of them.

Yang's laughs slowly calmed into giggles when her previously empty right hand became occupied with slender fingers.

"Um… Yang?"

At the sound of her name, her laughs died completely. She straightened up, curiously eyeing the woman at her side and gripping her hand a little tighter. "Hmm?"

"Yes."

Confused, Yang asked, "Yes, what?"

"Me, moving in… with you." Blake said slowly. "Yes."

Yang's grip around her fingers went limp for a second in her surprise. "Moving in… you… really?"

Blake, happy to see the usual gleeful gleam in those lilac eyes, smiled at her. "Really."

Yang whooped with victory, shooting her hands, including the one still holding Blake's, high in the air. "This is going to be so _awesome_!" She lowered her arms and grasped Blake's other hand, expression serious as she held their hands to her chest and brought her face in close. "I promise, you won't regret it and we can figure everything out later. But right now, we need to celebrate."

Blake blinked. "Wha… how?"

She was startled when Yang leaned forward to give her a soft, sweet kiss. When Yang pulled away, she tapped their foreheads together, half-open violet peering at mildly confused gold. Her murmurs were low and quiet, laced with underlying fatigue. "With sleep. Bunk here tonight?"

Blake's renewed smile and the squeeze of her hands told Yang she didn't even have to ask. "I'd love to."


End file.
